Demand for the Flexi range of ultra-efficient articulated forklift trucks continues to surge ahead as more and more companies realise the benefits that these iconic high-quality intralogistics solutions bring.
Managing Director at Narrow Aisle Ltd
Donald Houston, Managing Director of Narrow Aisle Ltd spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
Narrow Aisle pioneered the space-saving articulated forklift truck concept more than three decades ago and has been designing and building the iconic Flexi range of articulated trucks in the UK since 1990. The Flexi’s unique design has revolutionised very narrow aisle (VNA) storage operations thanks to its ability to combine safe and throughput efficient operation within VNA stores with the ability to work outside, loading and unloading delivery vehicles. This dual functionality allows users to eliminate ‘double handling’ – meaning fewer types of forklift are required, so fleet sizes can be reduced and on-site handling costs driven down by as much as 50 per cent. Over 13,000 Flexis have been supplied to distributors and users in more than 70 different countries worldwide
What sets your company apart as a supplier in your category?
Demand for Flexi trucks continues to surge but thanks to the ongoing investment in our manufacturing facility, in most cases we are able to build and deliver new trucks in under eight weeks from the date that an order is placed. We benchmark our production performance against similar sized operations in our sector and we believe that our lead times compare very favourably. There is no doubt that the ability to respond to the demand for new fully configured Flexi trucks quickly gives us a commercial advantage and we know that we have won some significant orders because we have been able to meet our customers’ need for new trucks.
What are the major trends and developments affecting your category and your customers, and how are you responding?
We are focusing on the further development of environmentally conscious battery-powered trucks with renewed emphasis on lithium-ion technology. Over last three years or so there has been a major change in attitudes to forklift power sources. Lithium-ion battery technology has come of age at precisely the right time to meet the market’s environmental, productivity and safety demands and is ideally suited to the needs of some modern, 24/7 logistics and e-fulfilment hubs.
Time and again, companies that we are working with explain that they are evaluating the environmental impact of their logistics operations and, as a result, are looking to replace conventional diesel and LPG fleets with cleaner, more environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient Flexi alternatives.
Of course, lead acid batteries remain a highly efficient option for electric forklifts and the majority of electric Flexi Truck lift trucks still feature this type of battery, but Lithium-ion technology is now regarded as ideally suited to the needs of modern, 24/7 logistics and e-fulfilment operations.
Can you tell us about any recent customer contract wins or projects and how you helped the customer meet their challenges?
Flexi trucks are used by a diverse range of companies that operate across very different business sectors. Although our clients are involved in the storage and handling of many different products – from foodstuffs to engine parts – they all share at least one common aim: the need to maximise efficiency within their storage operation by making the most of the space that is available.
Some of the companies we have recently helped, include:
• e-Commerce fulfilment specialists FuturePro Logistics who increased storage capacity by some 30 per cent at their newly built 50,000 sq. ft warehouse in Thatcham, Berkshire, by switching to a very narrow aisle racking scheme served by Flexi technology.
• Third-party logistics services specialist Bowker Group, a long- standing Flexi user, has added two new additional Flexi machines to the materials handling fleet already in operation at the most recent addition to its logistics property portfolio – a new 165,000 sq. ft food grade facility offering 31,000 pallet locations, located in Thorne, a small town on the outskirts of Doncaster.
• Industrial parts fulfilment group, Rico Logistics, has added an additional Flexi to the existing Flexi fleet in operation at its warehouse at Minworth in the West Midlands.
How were business levels in 2023 compared to previous years?
Despite the global economic uncertainty created by events that nobody could have foreseen, we continue to make excellent progress towards our various goals by taking a long-term view and making strategic investments in our business while remaining agile and adaptable.
In the financial year to December 2022, we recorded a global turnover of £31.6 million – the highest in the company’s history. This is up from the £25.5 million achieved in 2019 – the year when the company was the subject of a buyout by members of its senior management team. While at the time of writing final numbers aren’t available for 2023, it looks like we are on course to deliver another outstanding set of results.
What is your strategy for succeeding in 2024 and how do you plan to grow your business?
Our long-term strategic focus has always been on continually increasing our UK market share and we firmly believe that the UK still offers significant growth potential for the Flexi range of articulated lift trucks, but we are also very excited by the growth potential of overseas markets.
For example, US demand for very narrow aisle lift trucks is developing rapidly. In fact, the United States has overtaken Europe as the biggest market for VNA trucks during the last three to four years.
In the US we have benefitted from a long and successful distribution partnership with Sunbelt Material Handling. Sunbelt sell Flexi trucks to both end users and dealerships and, with physical locations in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the company also provides after-sales support services to the USA’s growing number of Flexi users.
In addition, this year we signed an agreement with Houston-based Equipment Depot – the largest independent distributor of materials handling equipment in the USA – for Equipment Depot to distribute the Flexi range under the brand name, Artix.
Can you tell us about any areas where you’re currently making technical advances e.g. safety, sustainability, environment?
We see it as essential that our product offering constantly evolves and, of course, sustainability, safety and environmental concerns drive much of our research and development thinking. With more and more customers targeting zero emissions across their business, it is critical that Narrow Aisle has a range that helps them to achieve their sustainability goals. We believe that our Lithium-ion powered articulated warehouse trucks represent the ideal ‘green’ energy solution for modern order fulfilment operations, retail warehouses, temperature-controlled facilities and chemical stores as well as manufacturing units.
Are you helping customers boost the level of automation in their business?
Automated picking robots deliver many advantages but some of these benefits can be lost if they are not complemented with the most suitable materials handling equipment. The Flexi range is the ideal choice for sites where robotic picking technology is deployed. Capable of performing in aisles measuring from just 1.6 metres wide and with the ability to lift palletised loads to heights of 15 metres, Flexis can operate during the pick cycle – unlike traditional man-up guided VNA machines, for example, which require the storage cube to be free of pedestrians and other traffic at all times.
Do you help customers maximise the use of their existing warehouse space?
Across the country there’s a huge number of warehouse buildings that are no longer fit for purpose. Often the unit’s original role has changed completely and, as a result, the storage system is no longer as efficient as it could be. But, by redesigning the facility’s layout and introducing new materials handling technology it is possible to give an existing warehouse a whole new lease of life. In many cases this will mean that the expense and disruption to a business that moving to a new site, or outsourcing the storage operation to a third party, brings can be avoided. This is why we recently launched a new storage solutions department offering a free warehouse planning service.
Providing a complete turnkey package from design through to the supply and installation of a full range of storage equipment including pallet racking, shelving, sprinklers, mezzanine flooring etc, the new resource delivers ultra-efficient storage systems for new build facilities and reconfigures existing units to optimise space utilisation and handling efficiency.
Will you be investing in your premises over the next 12 months?
Capacity at the Black Country site that Narrow Aisle has occupied since the mid-1980s, continues to be increased to enable the growing demand for Flexi trucks – both from within the UK and worldwide – to be met. Our customers need to trust that we are able to provide Flexi trucks on fast lead times when they require them and, as sales of trucks in the Flexi range continue to grow, we have to ensure that our production facilities are able to keep pace with demand. This means that we need to keep investing in our UK manufacturing site to support the dedicated work of our hugely skilled engineering teams.
How future proof and flexible are your solutions?
Traditionally, the narrowest aisles were served by guided VNA forklifts, but a Flexi does not require mechanical or inductive wire guidance of any kind. In addition, special pallet racking isn’t needed, which means existing racks can be up-cycled during any store reconfiguring process. And, furthermore, with a Flexi, the warehouse floor does not need to be of VNA specification. These features combine to ensure that a storage site is able to evolve with minimal fuss (and capital outlay) in the event that the building user’s needs evolve over time.
NARROW AISLE
0121 557 6242
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