Battery and electric vehicle pioneer and global leader BYD (Build Your Dreams) announced the addition of well-known industry specialist, Terry Rains, as its new Director of After Sales for BYD’s Material Handling practice, based in its North American headquarters in Los Angeles. He will work with the firm’s material handling equipment (MHE) and ground support equipment (GSE) dealers to deliver its high quality tools, training, and parts to support their BYD clean energy vehicles.
Rains brings 30 years of experience with specialized electronics, and development and oversight of national industrial equipment, MHE and GSE after market sales programs. He has worked with global teams throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia to drive strategy, innovation, process improvement and operational growth. “BYD’s dedication to a world class product support is only matched by its commitment to move the world forward through innovation,” said Brian Rippie, BYD’s Director of Material Handing, North America. “And Terry’s skill in creating and managing new after sales programs as well as his passion for invention will be invaluable to our team and mission, especially with a growing dealer network and 8 new product launches planned for 2019.”
Serving in various posts at Toyota for more than two decades, Rains most recently served as Vice President for Parts and Service at Toyota Material Handling, USA, Inc. He was responsible for managing aftermarket operations across parts sales and service, fleet management, warranty, and technical and dealer support. Rains increased Toyota’s parts market share by 30%, implemented numerous programs, system changes and improvements, and achieved a customer satisfaction rating of greater than 90% by collaborating with dealers to achieve issue resolutions. Prior to his vice president position, he served as the National Manager for Parts, Service and Fleet Management. In addition, for Toyota Motor Sales, Inc., Rains served as Parts Pricing Administrator, and later promoted to Parts Sales Manager for the Forklift Division.
“I am very excited to be joining the BYD team” Rains said. “The technology BYD brings to the forklift industry is truly revolutionary. The performance and recharge time of BYD’s MHE will allow many customers to replace their internal combustion forklifts with electric models. Plus with BYD’s state-of-the-art ion-phosphate batteries, even current electric users will be able to transition to green technology seamlessly.“
Rains served four years in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as an avionics inertial and radar navigation specialist and attended one of the USAF’s most advanced electronics technical training schools
in Biloxi, Miss. He was then deployed for two years in England working on A-10 attack aircraft inertial navigation systems and cross-trained in weapons delivery systems, and in his final year of service, he was stationed in New Jersey working on C-141 cargo aircraft. Rains earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Redlands; and an Associate’s degree in Electronics from El Camino College, both in California.
BYD’s MHE practice includes five (5) class 1, sit-down counter balance forklifts and now, three (3) tug products – one 5-ton and the two new 25-ton models. The BYD North American MHE practice began operations in the summer of 2015, delivering pilot forklifts to the Port of Los Angeles. Operations have now grown to 20+ dealers covering 42 North American markets with
deliveries to more than 200 customers, which include fleet customers like PepsiCo, Armstrong Flooring and Whirlpool. With a mission of “Forklifts Simplified,” the practice is rapidly expanding to meet customer demand for clean energy, battery-electric, heavy-duty truck options.
BYD continues to invest in America, both in terms of facilities and the development of its workforce. The firm has created more than 800 U.S. manufacturing jobs at its BYD North America Lancaster, California, plant, and is the first electric bus manufacturer with an all-union workforce. Investing more than $250 million in the U.S.to date, BYD continues its expansion plans with the purchase of an additional 150 acres of land near its Lancaster plant; and is planning service/maintenance centers across the U.S.
Pioneering zero-emission technology, the 240,000-person international company is helping to revolutionize transportation, clean the environment and bring back manufacturing to the U.S. Its model proves that going green can be good for the economy, good for workers and good for America.
