24.07.2024

Star adds to team

UK rental company Star Platforms has made a number of new sales and training appointments.
They include Laura Buzzard as business development manager North West, James Wakefield as business development executive at its depot in Bridgwater, Somerset covering the South West region, and Stuart McDermott as a new IPAF trainer.

Buzzard joins the company from Nationwide Platforms where she was business development manager for national merchants for the past couple of year, having started out with the company as a senior hire controller in 2020, with several promotions since. She began her career as an entertainments officer with P&O cruises in 2008, but after four years in the role, joined the access industry as an internal account manager with Horizon Platforms, and six years later was promoted to field sales account manager, leaving for Nationwide just over a year later.

James Wakefield joins Star after a year with software company Volaris, where he worked on mergers and acquisitions. New to the equipment industry he started out as a sales assistant with mobile phone company EE in 2018. In 2021 he spent a short time with Samatrix as a digital marketing administrator before joining events organiser and introduction company GDS Group as an audience acquisition executive, leaving for Volaris two years later.

UK sales manager Richard Stok said: "We are delighted to welcome Laura and James to the team, whose expertise will strengthen our customer account management and drive further growth in the North West and South West regions."

Last, but not least, Stuart McDermott also joins the company from Nationwide Platforms, where he has worked since 1999, becoming an IPAF certified trainer in late 2001. He added PASMA alloy access tower training in 2016. He will be working across Star Platforms' seven UK locations.

Joint managing director Steve Simmons said: "Stuart's addition strengthens our IPAF training team and underscores our dedication to delivering exceptional customer training courses."

Fellow MD Richard Miller added: "These appointments demonstrate our commitment to excellence and growth. We are thrilled to welcome Stuart, Laura, and James to our team and eagerly anticipate their contributions to our continued success."

Established in October 2014, Star Platforms runs a fleet of more than 3,000 aerial work platforms with 140 employees from its seven depots in Luton, Coalville, Reading, Thetford, Bridgwater, Tonbridge and Warrington. Towards the end of 2020 the business was acquired by the Indian manufacturer and rental company Sudhir Power, with the three owner managers Richard Miller, Steve Simmons and Bryan Freeman staying on board to run the business but under new ownership.