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James J. Radous III is president and CEO of UniCarriers Americas and corporate/execu-tive officer of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas. Under his leadership, UniCarriers has seen a
significant expansion of its manufacturing capabilities while growing from the eighth-larg-est to the third-largest forklift producer in the world. Radous also guided the company
through its acquisition by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and rebranding as UniCarriers.
Radous joined UniCarriers in 2009, when the company was known as Nissan Forklift
Corp., and has served in a variety of executive roles in the years since. He recently spoke
with DC VELOCITY Editorial Director David Maloney.
James J. Radous III
of UniCarriers Americas
A: Being involved with the ITA has
allowed me to become fully engaged with
the industry and where we are headed.
I believe that forklifts are “The Heart of
Commerce.” Imagine a day where every
forklift stopped operating. The world’s
economy would come to a standstill.
Forklifts play an essential and critical role
in businesses around the globe. The ITA
is a platform where we [manufacturers]
act with a common purpose—to promote
the relevance of forklifts and their safe
operation.
Q: YOU ARE A SUPPORTER OF MANY CHARITIES AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
TO YOU AND YOUR COMPANY TO GIVE BACK?
A: I believe that the fortunate should share
among the less fortunate. We’ve been very
blessed as a company and as individuals,
and we all feel the need to give back. From
the church basket to the most corporate of
giving, I encourage others to get involved.
But it isn’t just about money; it’s about
time as well.
I hope that many years from now, my
legacy with the company will be that I left
it better—not just as a business, but as a
community of people. In fact, this year
we selected St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital as our principal beneficiary
going forward. Having visited their hospital recently, I could not be more proud of
the work we do for them.
Q: HOW DO YOU SEE THE CURRENT STATE OF
THE FORKLIFT INDUSTRY?
A: Overall, I am cautiously optimistic.
While we are seeing progress in financial
markets, industry has retrenched a bit.
After nine years of consecutive growth,
buyers have become more apprehensive
and deliberate in their purchasing.
What I find exciting is the new technology impacting our industry. It’s amazing
to see the advancements year over year.
Data technology like telematics has gone
from a future capability to an implemented system among large operators.
Q: DURING YOUR TIME WITH UNICARRIERS, THE COMPANY HAS GROWN TO BE
THE THIRD-LARGEST PRODUCER OF FORKLIFTS IN THE WORLD. TO WHAT DO
YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT SUCCESS?
A: To be fair, that designation is, in part, due to our status as a Logisnext
company. But our continued growth has been driven by three things:
1) the best-trained and most qualified dealer network in the Americas,
2) engaged supplier partners who consistently go above and beyond,
and 3) the most dedicated group of employees I’ve ever been around.
Q: WHAT DIFFERENTIATES UNICARRIERS’ PRODUCTS FROM OTHERS IN THE
MARKET?
A: I can sum that answer up for you in two words: “reliability redefined.” What we learned from the industry is that reliability (uptime)
is the most critical attribute of a forklift in the eyes of forklift owners
and operators. The reason our products lead in reliability is because of
quality manufacturing and proven design engineering.
Q: YOU’VE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE INDUSTRIAL TRUCK ASSOCIATION (ITA), SERVING ON ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR
COMPANY?
In our continuing series
of discussions with top
supply-chain company
executives, James J. Radous
III of UniCarriers shares his
take on the state of the
forklift industry, his
company’s growth following
its 2015 acquisition and
rebranding, and the
importance of giving back.
