Youbuild

YouBuild and Mpro are distributors of building materials. The organisation was formed following a joint venture between the Irish Grafton Group and The Belgian Roussel.

The company has almost 20 branches across Belgium with about 65 employees in total. Each branch works independently and is a former family business, with strong regional ties.

The primary customer base of YouBuild and Mpro is made up of professional companies, but they also cater to individual, private customers.

YouBuild and Mpro sites require a mix of forklifts suitable for both sporadic and intense use in indoor and outdoor operations.

• The local Hyster® distribution partner in Belgium, B-CLOSE, standardised the fleet to contain exclusively Hyster products, with the same maximum lift capacity, so the machines can be shared across all sites if needed.
• B-CLOSE provided materials handling equipment to meet the specific needs of each customer site, with some requiring trucks for sporadic use and some for more intense use.
• The distribution partner enabled easier central fleet management for the customer with standardised Hyster equipment and standardised maintenance service support across all sites.

• Following the enthusiasm expressed for Hyster trucks, by YouBuild colleagues in the UK, the company approached B-CLOSE in Belgium, which demonstrated it could provide the same dependable, high quality trucks to meet the needs of both small and large branches across the country.
• The trucks are required for different levels of operation across different sites, with some operating for 1,800 hours a year, while others are only required for about 250 hours. Hyster was the only brand that could offer different forklifts specifically suitable for sporadic or intense use, to meet the individual requirements of each branch.
• By working with one brand and setting the same maximum lift capacity across all branches, YouBuild can supply the large branches with the latest Hyster products for intense operation, and transfer used ones to the small locations where forklifts operate less frequently. Optimising the central management of the entire fleet in this way, increases the return on investment.
• The ergonomic Hyster trucks, have been designed to deliver driver comfort and ease of operation, which contributes to productivity across all sites.
• Uptime has been maximised and efficiency has been enhanced across all the sites thanks to the rapid-response, nationwide maintenance and support service provided by local Hyster distribution partner, B-CLOSE.
• Overall operation cost savings and synergy can be achieved as the purchase and standardisation of trucks fits with YouBuild’s plan to renew and manage the fleet centrally, with activities such as administration and invoicing easily managed in the head office.
• Every individual branch has its own operating practices, quality requirements, and forklift brand and maintenance preferences. With one central partner, YouBuild can ensure that all its branches have their needs and requirements met with the same standards in terms of high quality and excellent service, forming a strong working relationship with Hyster and the local distribution partner.