Meet the team: Tom Smith, Area Sales Manager (North)

Tom Smith joined Ficep UK in July 2025, bringing a unique combination of hands-on engineering experience and a genuine passion for helping customers find the right solutions for their businesses.

As Area Sales Manager for the North of England, covering a territory stretching from South Yorkshire to the North of Scotland, Tom is focused on building strong industry relationships and supporting customers throughout every stage of their system investment journey.

Tell us about your career so far

I became a machinist at 16 years old. I then completed a four-year apprenticeship with the University of Sheffield before moving into machine operation full time.

Both my dad and grandad were in machine sales, so growing up I was always around the industry. From an early age, I knew I wanted to follow in their footsteps and move into sales. They set a pretty high benchmark for me to follow. After spending seven years operating machines, I made that move and joined Hitachi in machine sales where I spent four years honing my skills. That hands-on experience has stayed with me. It helps me look at projects from an operator’s perspective, rather than purely from a sales point of view.

Joining Ficep UK was an ideal opportunity for me. I started by shadowing the existing sales team and learning from some incredibly experienced people. Every day has been a chance to develop my knowledge further and deepen my understanding of the industry.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love taking customers on a journey from an initial idea right through to the finished solution.

For me, sales isn’t just about selling a machine. It’s about understanding a customer’s goals, listening to their challenges and helping them implement solutions that support their business both now and in the future.

Seeing a project develop from a conversation into a successful installation is incredibly rewarding.

What gives me the most satisfaction is helping customers find solutions that also allow them to meet their own customers’ requirements, especially when those requirements are particularly challenging or unique.

What makes Ficep UK different?

The people and their experience. Ficep has a strong presence in the industry, and what really stands out to me is the depth of knowledge within the team. Our UK operation continues to evolve, and we’re constantly looking at ways to improve our processes, strengthen our local support and ultimately provide a better and more efficient experience for our customers.

Every customer is different and we don’t take a catalogue-selling approach. We spend time listening and understanding their specific requirements before tailoring a solution to meet their needs. Customers also value having access to a highly experienced team that can support them throughout the entire process. Local support when needed.

Our customers know they’re not just buying equipment, they’re gaining a long-term partner.

What trends are you seeing within the industry?

We’re seeing businesses increasingly embrace automation and new technologies to drive efficiency and improve productivity.

It’s an exciting time because Ficep continues to innovate alongside those changing requirements. Whether it’s advanced automation, integrated material handling or unique software solutions, we’re constantly developing ways to help customers optimise their operations and gain greater insight into performance.

What is keeping you busy right now?

There’s certainly plenty happening. Alongside supporting existing customers and onboarding new ones, we’re working on a number of exciting projects across the region. The expansion of Ficep UK’s headquarters is also a significant milestone, creating additional space for customer support, training and future growth. It’s a very exciting time to be part of the business.

How would your colleagues describe you?

I’ve been told I bring ‘youthful enthusiasm’ to the team! I’d say one of my strengths is building trust and strong relationships with customers, taking the time to fully understand their challenges and what they’re trying to achieve. I enjoy working through complex requirements and helping customers develop the right solution rather than taking an off-the-shelf approach. I also really enjoy learning and spend a lot of my free time developing my industry knowledge and upskilling myself professionally, which ultimately helps me better support our customers.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to sales?

I firmly believe that you haven’t truly made a sale until you receive a second order. A repeat order shows that the customer trusts you, values the relationship and has had a positive experience throughout the process. For me, it’s always about building trust first. The sales naturally follow from there.

What do you enjoy most about working at Ficep UK?

Definitely working as part of our incredible team. Everyone is approachable, experienced and committed to providing customers with a personal service. We have a strong local presence and customers genuinely appreciate being able to speak directly with people who understand their business and their challenges.

There’s a real team spirit here, and that’s reflected in the service we provide.