Kurt Spyke

Director, Major Accounts | Hyster-Yale Materials Handling

• Develop and execute strategic national account plans to drive revenue growth, market share expansion, and long-term customer retention across key enterprise accounts.
• Lead sales initiatives for Hyster and Yale lift trucks, aftermarket parts, fleet management solutions, automation technologies, and material handling equipment programs.
• Build executive-level relationships with Fortune 500 and multi-site customers to align material handling solutions with operational and financial objectives.
• Collaborate with dealer partners, operations, finance, marketing, and product management teams to deliver integrated customer solutions and maximize account performance.
• Negotiate complex multi-location contracts, pricing agreements, and fleet procurement strategies resulting in increased profitability and customer satisfaction.
• Identify opportunities for fleet modernization, electrification, warehouse automation, and lifecycle asset management to support customers' productivity goals.
• Direct account forecasting, pipeline management, and business reviews to ensure achievement of revenue, margin, and growth objectives.
• Analyze industry trends, competitive positioning, and customer requirements to develop winning sales strategies and value propositions.
• Manage multimillion-dollar account portfolios while maintaining high levels of customer engagement, retention, and contract renewal performance.
• Champion customer advocacy initiatives and ensure successful implementation of equipment, service, and aftermarket support programs.
• Partner with senior leadership to develop strategic growth initiatives within manufacturing, logistics, distribution, retail, and other key industry verticals.
• Mentor and influence cross-functional sales and dealer teams to achieve performance targets and deliver a superior customer experience.
• Targeting all forklift classes I-V including 15,500Lbs capacity to Container Handlers
• Strategic Account Management
• National & Enterprise Sales
• Material Handling Solutions
• Warehouse Automation
• Fleet Optimization
• Contract Negotiation
• Business Development
• Executive Relationship Management
• Revenue Growth Strategy
• Dealer Network Collaboration
• Supply Chain & Logistics Solutions
• P&L and Margin Management

• Recruited to establish and lead the National Accounts Division, aligning existing and newly hired team members to support aggressive growth objectives.
• Lead sales initiatives across Big Joe's full product portfolio, including electric cushion and pneumatic forklifts, lithium-ion solutions, private-label offerings, and legacy product lines.
• Develop and manage relationships with Fortune 1000 organizations throughout North America.
• Expanded business with both new and existing customers, generating new business along with expanding accounting for 34% of all sales in North American market
• Pioneered growth of the company's lithium-ion Class I forklift business, creating opportunities within both established and new national accounts.
• Lead cross-functional teams to develop customer-focused solutions spanning product design, manufacturing, and end-user implementation.
• Direct strategic private-label partnerships with KION-Linde, Clark, and Raymond, including program development, sales growth initiatives, and partner sales training.

• Selected to join a newly formed national accounts team focused on securing new business opportunities for Jungheinrich, CAT, and Mitsubishi forklift brands across North America.
• Developed and expanded relationships with major national accounts previously unaffiliated with MCFA.
• Earned the prestigious Master Class Award for total unit sales during each of the final three years with the organization, placing among the top five national account sales professionals.
• Managed and developed key accounts across multiple industries, including:
• Fleet Management
• Automotive
• Lumber
• Food Distribution
• Precast Concrete
• Third-Party Logistics (3PL)

• Drove significant territory growth through strategic account development and market penetration efforts across North and South Carolina.
• Led new business development initiatives supporting Toyota Material Handling, Kalmar, "Jumbo-Pneumatic" division
• Achieved President's Club recognition within the first year, ranking among the top 20% of sales performers.
• Served as the organization's Large Pneumatic Sales Specialist, delivering exceptional results in high-capacity equipment sales.
• Sold:
• 12 new Kalmar large-capacity forklifts (including Gloria models)
• 8 new Toyota forklifts ranging from 22,000 to 55,000 lbs. capacity within the first 12 months

• Field Sales Manager (2010 - 2014)
• Position created to drive new business development across all 13 Michigan and Northern Indiana locations.
• Focused exclusively on identifying and converting "zero-account" prospects into revenue-generating customers.
• Built customer relationships and successfully transitioned accounts to local territory representatives for long-term growth and retention.
• Generated results that directly led to recruitment by MCFA to replicate national account growth strategies.
• Territory Sales Manager (2005 - 2010)
• Focused on new business development throughout Western Michigan.
• Became the first salesperson in company history to achieve:
• 50 new forklift sales
• 100+ used equipment sales
• 200 new service agreement sales
• Management Trainee (2004 - 2005)
• Managed sales activities for Cushman, Taylor-Dunn, and Princeton trailer-mounted forklift product lines.
• Assisted with used equipment sales and customer account development initiatives.