The largest family-owned processor of peanuts and tree nuts in the UK, processing circa 27,000mt per year from their state-of-the-art BRC AA rated factory in Heckington Lincolnshire continue to partner with Windsor Materials Handling to upgrade their 12-strong forklift truck fleet.
Working with our Sleaford branch since 2015, Windsor has proudly partnered with The Roasting Company to supply them with their ongoing materials handling equipment needs, providing them with a first-class product consultancy and ongoing maintenance support.
Offering industry leading processing rates can only be achieved if the forklift truck operation can support the workload and suit the environment that it is intended for. Windsor was appointed over eight years ago due to their ability to cope with the growing business demands of The Roasting Company and their infamous reputation for service and stability.
Sales manager, Danielle Neilson talks through some of the considerations The Roasting Company went through when selecting the right equipment for their operation.
“In a food production environment, it is important to be able to offer a range of equipment that is suitable for the job being undertaken. Currently there is a mixed fleet where LPGs run the outdoor operations and electric manage movement inside the warehouse.”
“Load capacities and speed of operation allowed for the switch so the important factors here were ensuring run times would suffice on a battery charge and that the dimensions of the trucks would fit the space that they are moving in without interruption.”
The fact that Windsor has a multi-brand product portfolio, we know that many customers we work with are looking for local dealers and service providers who can offer prompt support and maintenance to minimise downtime.
“One of the key reasons for using Windsor is their continuity of people within the branch – we have worked with Murray branch manager for almost nine years and Danielle has been our point of contact for over three now. Their approach to call-outs and customer service is what appeals to businesses like ours – the engineers are prompt on call-outs, persistent with their fixes and always reliable which can’t always be said for service providers” says warehouse manager, Kevin Massam.
True to our heritage, we have developed the experience and expertise to supply and maintain all manner of equipment – providing a true materials handling consultancy service. As well as superb advice, we also offer the highest levels of support and the best value for money, and to ensure that they are always close at hand, we have developed highly skilled teams of locally based, manufacturer trained engineers. It’s all part of our ‘Local Partnerships’ approach.
Based in Hull, Commercial Scaffolding Limited was formed February 1990 by Alan, Jean and Alex Lilley and over that time have built their customer base up at an impressive rate.
Working on some of the region’s most significant scaffolding projects, they have a similar approach in how they do business as do Windsor – through developing relationships and creating partnerships and operating to the highest of standards.
“Paul Williams – Windsor’s longest serving sales manager – has a tenacious approach to how he works with customers and Commercial Scaffolding Ltd have respected that attention since we first started working together in 1997 when we took delivery of our first Komatsu”
“Conversations with Paul arose due to our recent investment into renewable energy sources, namely solar panels. We were fortunate enough to take advantage of the green funding available for SMEs through the local government initiative.” says Alan Lilley.
Paul presented the new range of lithium-ion powered forklifts, manufactured by UN Forklift, to Commercial Scaffolding in a move to transition from their IC equivalent. It was important that they invested into a truck that enabled a smooth transition for the operator as without doubt there is a change of habit required when choosing electric.
The NL Series uses the same chassis as it’s IC counterpart so the operator is uncompromised. A full handover of the truck and charger demonstrated to the customer how to keep optimal run times throughout operational hours.
For traditional IC truck users, moving to lead-acid battery trucks is arguably a bigger change, as it involves battery maintenance. They must be refilled regularly with distilled water to function properly and stay healthy, which in turn brings added implication to health and safety procedures.
“Typically, switching to lithium is a change of mindset for a diesel counterbalance user,” says Paul. “Whereas you can get on a lithium UN truck and it will feel very similar in its setup – and we can adjust the programme settings so it operates like a hydrostat or like a traditional torque convertor IC truck which gives the operator a like-for-like drive making it a no-brainer for lower use yard work.”
With this equipment solution presented to the customer at a critical point in their movement towards becoming carbon neutral, Windsor were able to offer the right product for the job with no interruption to business.
With a now reduced maintenance expenditure moving forward and cost savings made through the draw-down of electric via solar panels, along with the wider global environmental issues, it is clear to see why businesses are seeking for greener alternatives and with schemes in place to help businesses make the switch we are proud to be able to offer our customers a solution for any materials handling requirement.
