MGM Timber (Scotland) Ltd has taken delivery of six Combilift 4-way forklifts which will be used in its locations across the country to improve the handling and storage procedures of the company’s wide range of forest products such as structural and aesthetic timbers, sheet materials, joinery, decking and flooring products as well as a wide range of insulation and plasterboard products.
Part of the James Donaldson Group of companies, MGM Timber (Scotland) Ltd was established in 1991 and has grown to become Scotland’s largest independent timber merchant with sales of £30m in 2009/10. Eight of its twelve branches are now equipped with Combilifts after trials of the trucks when the Oban and Prestwick sites were opened. MD Scott Cairns: “Brian Docherty of our long term service provider Douglas Gillespie Plant (DGP) recommended the versatile qualities of the Combilift as being ideal for our requirements and this proved to be excellent advice, as we have come to expect from DGP.”
MGM had previously needed a combination of sideloaders and counterbalance forklifts to cope with its varying sizes of loads ranging from palletised goods to 6m long packs of timber. The Combilift’s ability to work as a sideloader as well as a conventional truck plus its 4-way capability eliminates the need for multiple machines. Operations are speeded up as drivers no longer need to switch from one truck to another for specific tasks, and the number of forklift movements are reduced for enhanced health and safety procedures.
DGP is Scotland’s leading independent fork lift truck specialist, with 40 years experience servicing customers across the nation. “We have been supplying equipment, including Combilifts, for various divisions of the Donaldson group for over 10 years now,” says DGP’s Brian Docherty, “such as Donaldson Timber Engineering (roof trusses and floor systems) and James Donaldson Timber (sawmills). MGM’s new Oban and Prestwick branches presented a good opportunity for a more streamlined materials handling approach. The initial Combilifts were so successful that the decision was made to introduce this system in other branches. MGM’s handling is now considerably more efficient than with the conventional sideloader and frontloader combination. Mr. Cairns comments “the efficiencies are clear to see for our business and as we continue to expand our branch network we will continue to utilise the Combilift product where ever appropriate. Our business is all about service, and as we continue to outperform our competitors the Combilift product helps us to stay one step ahead’’.
Diesel powered C4000 Combilifts as well as more modified versions of the C4000 were chosen as the most suitable models for MGM’s requirements. The C4000 was the first Combilift to be launched and is considered to be the core model of Combilift’s range. Its 4 tonne capacity and ability to work in narrow aisles as well as on semi-rough terrain make it a versatile workhorse for a wide variety of applications.
Combilift 4-way forklifts are all designed and built in Monaghan, Ireland, where the company also has its HQ and R&D facility. The current range now encompasses at least fifteen base models with capacities ranging from 2.5 – 25 tonnes. Combilift has won numerous awards for its products since the company was established in 1998, and there are now around 11,000 units in operation around the world.
Combilift Ltd., UK Tel: 07870 976 758 email: info@combilift.com www.combilift.com www.douglas-gillespie.co.uk www.mgmtimber.co.uk
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