Riverside Waste Machinery, the specialist recycling and waste management equipment supplier, has announced that its industry-renowned waste shredding division is being bought out by prestigious Austrian manufacturer UNTHA. This means that Riverside’s North Yorkshire headquarters will now be home to the fresh new brand – UNTHA UK.
Combining UNTHA’s technological development capability with Riverside’s in-depth knowledge of the UK marketplace and shredding application expertise, UNTHA UK is set to lead innovation and change within the shredder industry with major benefits for both customers and staff.
The formation of UNTHA UK comes following Riverside’s strong performance in the UK, at a time when the country is showing its determination to improve its approach to waste and recycling management. In recognition of his esteemed position in the industry, Riverside’s founder and MD Chris Oldfield now takes the role of UNTHA UK managing director, together with Peter Streinik, UNTHA’s head of sales.
The highly successful Riverside Waste Machinery brand will continue to be led by Jonathan Oldfield, but will focus solely upon waste balers.
The creation of UNTHA UK brings a host of benefits for customers, including greater peace of mind that they are buying direct from the manufacturer, an enhanced range of service and warranty packages, and improved access to spare parts that will be permanently stored at UNTHA UK’s North Yorkshire HQ – the existing Riverside base. All of this will be underpinned by the trusted support infrastructure that Riverside has worked hard to develop, to assist clients with the procurement, installation and ongoing operation of their shredders.
The collaboration will also mean that the UK team can provide UNTHA’s Austrian engineering experts with an even greater insight into client’ specific needs. With the changes in place it is anticipated that turnover will double in the next 12 months.
For staff there will be new training, development and knowledge-sharing opportunities. Four new recruits are expected to join the existing UK Riverside shredder team in the first six months, and colleagues from Austria will also spend three months in the UK so that skills can be combined and relationships better-forged. During this time the UNTHA UK engineering team will tour the country, visiting clients to deliver free inspection reports and efficiency tips.
Commenting on the new company, managing director Chris Oldfield says: “This is a very exciting time for us. Riverside has come a long way since its inception in 1997 and we’ve been able to work in some very complex markets. But as we spot more and more opportunities in the UK’s waste and recycling industry, it makes sense to collaborate our resources, technical knowledge and client expertise, so that we can offer an unparalleled level of product and service. We’ve set aside half a million pounds for sales and marketing development next year, so the next 12 months are going to be very big for us.
“We’ll continue to work with clients with varying shredding requirements and applications, but due to the highly innovative nature of our technology, we’ll be well-equipped to deal with the more complicated arenas of hazardous and confidential waste, RDF, SRF and Anaerobic Digestion.”
UNTHA’s chief executive Alois Kitzberger says: “We have known for some time that the UK is an incredibly lucrative marketplace. We have seen the successes that Riverside has had and look forward to being able to add value to their UK offering. We believe the level of service that we will now be able to provide clients throughout the UK, will be unrivalled.
“Chris’s ever-growing network of UK engineering contacts and our own contacts in other countries will remain very important. UNTHA UK will concentrate on what it does best – waste shredding – but by working with these engineering partners we will be able to recommend and offer complete waste solutions. These will typically include material conveying and separation equipment such as magnets, screens wind-shifters etc.”
If you would like to arrange an interview with the UNTHA UK team, or if you are interested in a personal insight into their pioneering shredding technology, please contact Katie@prthatworks.com or call T: 0113 242 4362.