Few years in the history of the UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) will be remembered quite like 2025.
Chief Executive at UKMHA
It’s been 12 months of record-breaking events and groundbreaking initiatives, in an exciting new chapter for the organisation.
With the foundations now firmly in place for a cutting-edge training facility – designed to meet the evolving needs of technicians and engineers and set to open in Spring 2026 – UKMHA is currently riding a powerful wave of momentum. Described by UKMHA CEO Rob Fisher as the beginning of ‘a truly exciting new chapter’, 2025 has showcased the UKMHA’s renewed energy, growing influence, and unwavering commitment to supporting every corner of the material handling sector.
The association’s flagship event, The Archies Awards 2025, was a resounding success, attracting a record audience of more than 500 professionals from across the sector. The event brought together the people, projects and products shaping the industry’s future, reaffirming the UKMHA’s role as the unifying voice of the sector.
Earlier in the year, National Forklift Truck Safety Day also captured attention on a national level, highlighting the vital importance of safe working practices. The campaign reached thousands of businesses and operators, reinforcing the association’s long-standing mission to make every workplace safer.
Meanwhile, a key step forward in that mission has been the introduction of the UKMHA Incident Reporting Portal; a groundbreaking new tool designed to close the industry’s knowledge gap on accidents and near misses. Open to anyone working with material handling equipment, the confidential online system allows incidents to be logged anonymously, building a valuable evidence base to guide future training and safety standards.
Looking ahead, the creation of a new training centre in Kibworth, Leicestershire is due to open in Spring 2026. Perfectly located near a host of major motorway links, the facility will serve as a hub for knowledge-sharing, innovation and collaboration and will be open to all UKMHA members.
Reflecting on a dynamic period of growth, Rob Fisher added: “Since its inception, following the merger of BITA and FLTA, UKMHA has undergone great change. We’re now entering our most exciting chapter yet, this has been one of the most successful 12-month periods, and 2026 promises even more.”
UKMHA
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