Harrison Fork Trucks Ltd, located at Pennygillam Industrial Estate, Launceston, is the original and official South West Dealer for Doosan Industrial Vehicles, serving Cornwall and Devon. Established over 30 years, Harrison Fork Trucks is a family-run company, specialising in hire and sales of new and pre-owned Doosan trucks from 1.5 to 16 ton capacity, and maintenance for customers’ fleets. Harrisons also carry out site surveys and specification advice, adding up to a service second to none.
Started by Dennis Harrison, the business is now run by his sons Martyn and John, who continue growing the customer base, and are dedicated to offering effective, competitive materials handling solutions for every client’s needs.
Martyn Harrison explains Harrison Fork Trucks’ approach: “As a local, long standing business, we treat every customer as unique and make every effort to give each the utmost attention. Our loyal customer base is testament to our track record, some customers remaining with us since we opened. Our highly skilled mobile engineers cover the entire South West, allowing quick response to breakdowns and full provision of scheduled servicing and inspections.”
Harrison Fork Trucks’ long term customers include Cornwall Farmers, who have worked with Harrison since 1971, SITA, the nationwide household waste recycling company whose operations Harrison has supported for many years, and Sharp’s Brewery, based in Rock, Cornwall, a Harrison customer since the early days.
Sharp’s Brewery is a national brewer based in Rock, north Cornwall. Founded by Bill Sharp in 1994, Sharp’s is best known for its flagship ale Doom Bar, produced in cask at Rock and now the UK’s no.1 selling beer. Named after the dangerous Doom Bar sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary in north Cornwall, Doom Bar represents nearly 90% of the company’s sales. In 2011, Sharp’s sales of cask beer reached nearly 34 million pints and four years later have almost doubled to nearly 64 million pints a year – that’s 884,761 casks to be moved!
With production of cask Doom Bar and other beers continuing to expand at the Rock brewery, handling the growing volume of casks presented a major challenge for the Sharps team. They turned to Harrison Fork Trucks, their long-standing materials handling partners, for the answer.
Martyn Harrison tells the story: “From the sale of the first Daewoo (Doosan) truck in 2002, a small B15T 3 wheel electric truck, the application at Sharp’s Brewery has grown year on year. With the growing demands on brewing and production, our forklift truck solution had to alter to accommodate the customer’s changing needs.
“This is where the Meyer keg clamps were vital to our requirements. The initial order of four Doosan trucks and keg clamps was accepted with keen interest and approval. Being on contract hire from ourselves, it was vital that we offered the best combined package available. I opted for the new Doosan G33P-5, fitted with new Meyer keg clamps. Due to the coastal location and harsh winter winds from the Atlantic, they were fitted with Doosan luxury full steel cabs with heaters and slam doors, key to ensuring drivers were happy and productive all day. We supplied four trucks first, then added two more trucks to the fleet in late 2014 ready for the Christmas rush, and to complement the still growing demand for production.”
Brian Morris, Operations Manager of Sharp’s Brewery, works closely with Martyn Harrison and the team at Harrison Fork Trucks. He told W&LN: “Harrisons have supplied and maintained our forklifts since we started. As we’ve grown they have grown with us and been pivotal in helping us choose the right forklift trucks to cope with our substantial growth. Their choice of Doosan trucks and their outstanding customer service have been a major contributor to our working relationship. The Doosan trucks are very reliable, and the service from Paul Watson and his colleagues at Doosans and from Harrisons themselves to keep the trucks in top condition is first class. We have grown from just two trucks on site to now having six Doosan’s that work seven days a week.”
Paul Watson, UK General Sales Manager at Doosan Industrial Vehicles UK, commented: “Harrison Fork Trucks are one of Doosan’s longest standing dealers, having been with us since the mid-1990’s, and we continue to enjoy many successes with them. Doosan’s dealer route-to-market means our customers receive the prompt and personal local service they want, backed by support direct from us as manufacturer. The success of this ‘best of both worlds’ approach is typified by the high level of repeat orders for new Doosan forklifts that Harrison’s highly-valued customers continue to purchase and lease. We are delighted to have Harrison Fork Trucks as one of our authorised dealers, and already seeing great things from Martyn and John, as they take the company’s development to the next stage.”
Tel: 01566 777707
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