Behind the Scenes: James Birkitt, Operations Manager for Dawsongroup material handling

As Operations Manager for Dawsongroup material handling, James Birkitt is the person who ensures service across the country is kept at the high standard expected by our customers. He began his engineering career with an apprenticeship for John Deere Tractors and moved into materials handling aged 24.

From his first position as a service controller with Dawsongroup in January 2016, James worked his way through to Operations Manager just six years later. On a daily basis, he liaises with engineers in the field and the Supply Manager to ensure the maintenance and servicing of equipment is planned and carried out quickly and efficiently. Another aspect of his role is researching new products; he arranges training for field engineers and other employees to make sure any new equipment can be maintained and serviced to the highest level.

“What we do with regards to service for our clients is second-to-none,” said James. “Customers know they can pick up the phone to us if they have any queries or issues, and we will resolve them quickly and efficiently. We pull out all the stops to make sure deadlines are always met and the equipment is safe and ready to use.”

Health, Safety and Sustainable Solutions

Health and safety are also high on James’s priority list. He oversees the business’ committee which has regular meetings to improve health and safety in all areas of material handling. He covers every material handling site across the whole of the UK, making sure vehicles, servicing and parts are all up to date, and customers have the newest vehicles available.

Dawsongroup has evolved a great deal in the time that James has been with the company. Our top-of-the-line software systems ensure customer details and requirements are always kept up to date, whilst our Smarter Asset Strategy provides sustainable solutions which streamline customers’ processes and maximise their efficiencies with no risk to capital.

“Dawsongroup feels like a family business but on a massive scale,” said James. “We have the local knowledge and connection to customers that a family business has, with the financial security and national reach of a large corporation. It’s reassuring for both customers and employees.”

Future Ambitions

Outside of work, James regularly competes in the Welsh Enduro Series: mountain bike races which take place across Wales each year. His ambitions for the future include progressing further within the business and continuing to help it expand.

“To get from an engineer to where I am now is an achievement I’m really proud of,” said James. “I couldn’t have done it without the trust the company have put in me. I want to carry on showing what I can do and keep growing and developing. I can see the direction the business is going, and it’s fantastic. I want to continue to be involved with it long-term.”

If you are interested in joining the Dawsongroup material handling team, or any other part of Dawsongroup, check out our careers. Find out more about our Smarter Asset Strategy here.