Krone NA, Inc., will open a Western headquarters in Reno, NV, that will house sales, service and parts staff as well as serve as the sales- and service-training hub for Western Region dealers.
“The new training facility will make it more convenient and less expensive for our dealers to receive training on Krone products,” explains Gary Thompson, Krone’s chief operating officer. Currently, dealers travel to Memphis, TN, Krone’s North American headquarters, for training.
Krone’s business has grown significantly in the Western U.S. since the release of its BiG product line in the early 2000’s. “The company realized that, in order to support and sustain this pace of growth, a new approach to the market was required – a total commitment,” says George Kilbride, Western Region manager.
The Reno facility will be a 50,000-sq ft building set to open on Dec. 1. It will serve as the primary parts warehouse for Western dealers, providing reduced shipping costs and faster delivery times for all parts shipments, says Kilbride.
Krone will also institute a new business model in the Western U.S. Rather than relying on one territory manager per territory, Krone will provide personnel specialized in business and product management.
Business managers will focus on business and administrative aspects. “Account management, inventory control, forecasting and business planning will be key focus items,” Kilbride says. Product managers will have extensive product knowledge and actively train and educate dealers and customers. “Their role is to increase sales and market share through an expanded level of product training, product demonstrations and customer meetings,” explains Thompson. Instead of a dedicated territory, each business and product manager will be assigned to specific groups of Krone dealers.