Issue 2 2021

50 Acquisition International - Issue 2 2021 For customers with multiple sites across a country or across Europe, Rubix even offers a dedicated Key Account management service to co-ordinate and implement contracts and optimise benefits. It’s not all about the products on offer however – a strong and dedicated staff base is the backbone of a successful company, and Cécile is quick to sing the praises of the several thousand employees that operate worldwide on the company’s behalf. “Every single person is critical to our success. Our teams provide the technical expertise and industry understanding to help overcome the maintenance, repair and overhaul challenges facing our customers.” Looking forward for Rubix, it appears the future is ‘green’ and sustainability is at the heart of business. As Europe’s leading distributor of industrial products and services, Rubix has both the opportunity and the responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of European manufacturing and, as it strives to limit the impact it has on the environment, Rubix has taken a number of steps to address its own carbon footprint, reducing energy consumption and waste. Its automated packaging machines reduce unnecessary cardboard consumption while increasing the capacity of the vehicles carrying the goods. The firm has also optimised its transport routes and consolidated orders, cutting kilometres travelled by more than 20 per cent and, to further reduce its environmental impact, Rubix has implemented video conferencing across to all major sites, reducing flights by more than 30 per cent. “We exist to keep the wheels of industry turning – right across Europe. We are committed to delivering sustainable long-term value for our customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.” Mar20414 Adding Value Rubix is Europe’s largest supplier of industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul products and services. Recently, we caught up with the Chief Finance Officer of UK, Ireland and Iceland, Cécile Parker to find out more about the company and its values. ubix was created from the merger of IPH with Brammer in 2017, following the acquisition of Brammer by Advent International. The business had combined sales of € 2.4bn in 2019 and is a leader distributor in bearings, transmission and automation, fluid power, machining, assembly, tools and protective equipment. From around 750 + locations across 22 countries, 8,500 employees help to identify, install and provide a leading range of industrial products and services to more than 20,000 customers who are amongst the leading names in the European industrial sector. The UK’s Chief Finance Officer, Cécile Parker, tells us more about how the firm positions itself to differentiate from potential competitors. “We have used our sheer size and scale to negotiate better terms with suppliers and to win new business,” explains Cécile. “In 2019, we signed more than double the number of new European key account contracts than we did throughout 2018. Moving in to 2020, despite the very challenging year we all faced, we saw this as a year of opportunity, a year to truly demonstrate our value to our customers as a strategic partner and as a result of the commitment of our workforce and the partnerships that we have with our suppliers, we were able to cement our customer relationships at a deeper level. Our customers were able to rely on us at a time of crisis and this came through in the strength of our financial results. Furthermore, we won one of our biggest contracts during 2020 and managed to implement a seamless transition taking over from the outgoing service provider, meaning the customer experience was second to none. We managed this through meticulous planning, sheer hard work but essentially the excitement and enthusiasm of our teams who were given the opportunity to service this exciting new customer. Our people really do set us apart from the competition.” The Group’s values set the standard for how it does business with its customers, suppliers and each other. These values include: act with integrity; own and take action; stay curious, including towards customers’ needs and inspiring itself to innovate solutions; never settle, i.e. continually improving core competencies; and embrace perspectives. To back up these values, Rubix has created a true multi-specialist value proposition, which resonates deeply with its customers. “We don’t just supply products,” Cécile enthuses. “We add value and have a proven track record of delivering solutions and benefits to our customers both nationally and globally.” Some of these key solutions include the access to technical expertise and exceptional products knowledge; technical support from manufacturers; quality assurance and traceability; technical product innovation; reduced energy consumption; e-commerce solutions; and advice on compliance and safety. R Company: Rubix Contact: Cécile Parker, Chief Finance Officer, UK, Ireland & Iceland Website: uk.rubix.com