Goscor Lift Truck is SPAR’s Equipment Supplier of the Year

Leading warehouse equipment supplier Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) has been named SPAR’s 2015 Equipment Supplier of the Year and according to GLTC MD, Darryl Shafto, this has to be the most important accolade ever received by his company. “SPAR obviously has many suppliers with many of them much bigger than we are. It is therefore a monumental privilege for us to have been singled out in this manner,” he says.

SPAR Group logistics executive, Trevor Currie, says that the award was well deserved. “It’s not just the quality of the product or of the after-sales support that makes the difference with Goscor, it’s the complete package. They are prepared to go the extra mile not only to help ensure excellence in our logistics division but also its cost effectiveness in the long-term. They are a partner in our business in the truest sense of the word,” he says.

On the question of value Currie says that although the capital price on Goscor’ equipment is usually higher than their competitors, Goscor has consistently delivered on the promise of achieving the lowest total cost of ownership over the equipment life. “In SPAR’s business this boils down to the cost of moving a pallet over the life-time of an individual materials handling machine and, in this regard, the SPAR-Goscor partnership has managed to create an enviable level of efficiency in the warehouse through constant and consistent operational cost reduction,” he says.

GLTC Sales Director Patrick Barber says that from the outset GLTC’s relationship with SPAR was unique. “The capital investment for SPAR was certainly higher with us than it would have been with most of our competitors. But we learnt very quickly that they completely understood the lifetime-cost concept,” Barber says.

He adds that operational cost reduction has been achieved through focusing on a cluster of activities like driver assessment, intrinsic fleet management and, of course, the highest levels of service and maintenance.

Currie says that one of the most impressive characteristics of the Goscor team is its willingness to listen. “We have a protocol whereby we measure the performance of our suppliers on a quarterly basis. Goscor has consistently achieved the highest ratings for these service/quality assessments. One of the reasons for this is that they are prepared to listen when things aren’t going one hundred per cent and to make the necessary changes immediately. This is a trait that makes all the difference, Currie says.

SPAR is experimenting with outsourcing the entire materials handling equipment (MHE) workshop management in various DC’s – a function that has traditionally been handled in-house – to Goscor. “We started in Nelspruit and on comparing costs found that Goscor did it in an efficient and cost effective manner whilst still achieving the high levels of productivity required. Based on this Goscor has now taken over in KZN and things are going well there too.

Shafto says that the bottom line is that there is a mutual respect between SPAR and Goscor. “We’ve been true to our promise in delivering the lowest cost of ownership across the fleet of our MHE and they have, in turn, allowed us to do what has to be done to achieve this. Often nit-picking micromanagement can destroy potential and fortunately this type of management is just not part of the visionary company that is SPAR. “It is a thoroughly professional organisation and this award is hugely meaningful for each and every one of us at Goscor Lift Truck Company. We are deeply grateful for it,” concluded Shafto.

For more information call Goscor Lift Truck Company on 011 230 2600.