UNTHA UK announces innovation plans following a landmark year

Industrial shredder specialist UNTHA UK has revealed a number of team changes and plans for the year, as managing director Marcus Brew gears up to record £15m turnover by the end of 2021. The promotions, hires and product launches follow a landmark year for the business, which reached £10.5m revenues despite the economic backdrop. 

Communications professional Katie Mallinson – a long-standing supplier – has been appointed as marketing director, to build on the firm’s brand voice in both the UK and overseas. Founder of her own PR and copywriting firm, her contribution to the board will support the strategic development of UNTHA UK’s external and internal dialogue across a range of communication channels.

Elsewhere, Andy Nadin – a colleague since 2012 – has moved into the position of aftersales manager, to reflect growing market demand for spare and wear parts, service and maintenance contracts, and used shredder refurbishments.

Rob Andrews will then head up the engineering services team, while Ben Styles will become the division’s senior engineer.

Sharon Annat will lead on BI, MI and data analysis; Sarah Murray has transitioned into a sales coordinator role to streamline the mounting flow of enquiries coming into the business, and sales director Gary Moore is looking for another experienced sales professional to join his busy commercial team.

An experienced engineer and an electrical apprentice have already been onboarded, and a vacancy for a HR and administrative coordinator has also been created.

The redefined organisational structure showcases that UNTHA UK’s success is as much about the team, as it is its technology, believes Marcus.

“In a crowded market, suppliers have to add value,” he explained. “We do this by developing deep relationships with our customers, to not only support them long after the sale, but to ensure they maximise the environmental and commercial gain that we can leverage with our shredders.

“People are core to this, and employees’ resilience during a difficult year was nothing short of remarkable. We’re lucky to have a blend of long-serving colleagues and fresh talent, within our team, and this sharper structure is about using our skills to best effect, while paving the way for new roles.”

At the end of January, UNTHA UK was listed on the Digital Enterprise Top 100 list for its region, in recognition of the company’s resilience and innovation during 2020. But it’s not just the firm’s technological infrastructure that will stand it in good stead to satisfy the ambitious £15m revenue plans.

“Last year saw us research, develop and launch some exciting new shredding solutions, including the high torque XR waste shredder for particularly tough applications such as tyres, mattresses, and small light metals,” he explained. “But there are further innovations to come, based on the XR series modular platform,  including the unveiling of a completely new machine. All I can say is ‘watch this space’ – particularly if you’re looking for a robust multi-material primary shredder!”

UNTHA UK adapted quickly to Covid restrictions, to continue supporting customers who in 90% of cases held keyworker status. Shredders have been made available for on-site trials, as well as short and long-term rentals. Machine and parts stockholdings were also increased in readiness for Brexit, which improved dispatch times for organisations requiring quicker turnarounds.

“We know that our growth plans this year are bold,” concluded Marcus. “But the definition of a fast growth business is one that expands by 20% in three years. We’re consistently increasing the size of our organisation by around 30% per annum, which is testament to the people and processes we’ve put in place.

“Our recycling machines are proven to excel across a range of applications now, which make the sale process quick and efficient, and our larger waste shredders and turnkey systems have gone from being sporadic hero projects, to part of our organisation’s mainstay with over 250 installations globally.”