Rational’s incoming UK managing director has shared his initial thoughts on the opportunities and challenges he sees for the business ahead of his start with the company this Friday.
Brendon Land, former general manager at Honeywell UK, fills a post that has been vacant for almost a year since Simon Lohse left for the States.
Land is under no illusions that he is joining the business at a buoyant but challenging time. On the one hand, it continues to post record orders for its cooking systems, but on the other supply chain issues are creating lead times stretching many months.
However, he is not spooked by the situation, commenting: “Global volatility and constrained supplies are going to be with us for some time to come, certainly through the remainder of 2022. As we move forward, we may enter a phase of moderation as the raw material delays, logistics and high transportation costs are factored in.
“This will give us improved visibility which will allow Rational to manage demand better, which should improve certainty around lead times. Right now, it’s about supporting our customers even more than before, and helping them to forecast and plan their orders further ahead.”
Land also revealed that he plans to get on the road and hear what customers have to say about the company as he builds up a picture of the business.
“My team and I are committed to continuing to serve and support our customers tirelessly to enable them to grow their businesses,” he said. “Over the coming months, I plan to spend a significant amount of time meeting with our customers and business partners to better understand what they love about Rational and how we can support them better.”
While Rational is best known for its combi ovens, a key element of Land’s strategy is to expand sales of the iVario Pro multifunctional cooking system in the UK.
He said: “Foodservice operators are crying out for cooking systems that can mitigate problems like staff shortages, rising food costs, consistent quality and the spike in energy bills. The iVario is a solution for these challenges. What’s more, thanks to some inspired procurement of components by our colleagues in Germany, we have access to stock of the iVario within 10 weeks or less. Its time has come.”
