Meet Dean Kahl from The Storage Equipment Centre

1. Tell us a little about yourself? Interests outside of work, family, pets, hobbies, entertainment, special talents…? 

I have one main hobby, and that is downhill and freeride mountain biking. I ride at local bike parks in the United Kingdom with my father and a group of friends that I met through biking. It is great fun, an adrenalin buzz and best of all, I keep fit doing it. I have ventured to France to ride at the ski mountain resorts there during the summer, and my dream is to ride at the Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Whistler, BC, Canada or at bike parks in California. However, I am saving for a house deposit so I can finally move out of my parent’s home, and currently, that dream is on hold. If you want a better idea of what I do, Aaron Gwin is the American national hero in downhill mountain biking and rides for Specialized Bicycle Components.

In addition to biking, I absolutely love spending time with my girlfriend, especially eating out. I have one guilty pleasure, and that is watching a good romantic comedy with my girlfriend in front of the fire. “The Holiday” is one of our favorites. 

2. Dean, what is your role in the organization?

My role is marketing coordinator. As such, I am responsible for all marketing activities within the company. This includes producing case studies, project photography, public relations and advertising. My core focus is our online marketing strategy, which includes the marketing of our website on social media. 

3. How did your career path land you in this role?

I studied marketing and media practices at the University of Bedfordshire as part of my degree. A job advertisement was posted on the university website for a part-time, short term marketing assistant to create a number of case studies for the company. This was in 2007 and I am still here. 

4. What is the most exciting aspect of your Job?

Every day is different – we have to be able to react quickly to the requirements of the business and changing market trends. This is even more important when it comes to online marketing .. I absolutely love visiting projects and taking photographs, then telling the world about what we have accomplished. 

5. What makes your company unique and sets you apart from the rest of the industry?

Our slogan is “more than just racking”. We are not a manufacturer. We are an independent distributor of all UK pallet racking systems. We are different from other companies because we supply the right solution for our clients, based on their entire operation and requirements. Often, we find that trying to maximize pallet capacity is not the right solution for a client. We work with our clients from the very initial stages of the project, even if they do not have a warehouse yet. This helps them determine the exact size of the warehouse they need, based on what they are trying to achieve. We call this “from conception to completion”, and we also directly employ our own installation teams, which is something that is unique within the UK racking industry. Our “more than just racking” slogan is further extended because we have extensive experience in supplying non-material handling equipment such as lighting, sprinkler systems, lifts (elevators) and office fitouts.

6. What product do you feel has the biggest impact on the material handling industry and is often overlooked?

I am going to be biased here and say pallet racking. Pallet racking is often seen as a commodity, and it is. But while there are over 10 brands of pallet racking in the UK, it is essentially the same thing. What is often overlooked, is how racking is used. The right solution can be cost-effective and operationally efficient, ultimately affecting the profits of the business. The wrong configuration, or specification, can cause congestion in the warehouse and repeated damage. Pallet racking, regardless of the manufacturer, should be designed to the exact requirements of the business using it. It looks like a simple product, but it isn’t.