Goscor Lift Truck opens new East London premises

Leading materials handling equipment (MHE) supplier, Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) officially opened its new full-service, 2000m², East London branch premises on 8^th September 2016.

GLTC MD, Darryl Shafto paid tribute to branch manager, Mark Rennie, and his team for a sterling performance over the past two years. “We officially started a branch in East London two years ago because we saw the potential of the area. At the time we were not yet that well represented in terms of MHE units operating in the region but, due to outstanding service and dedication by the East London team, the branch now has more than 80 units in the field. Also, the hire fleet has grown from five machines to more than 40.  A new building with the full gamut of customer service facilities was obviously warranted” says Shafto.

The East London branch is ISO 9001:2008 certified and, according to Shafto, this is an important confirmation of its high levels of service. “One of the important aspects of ISO 9001:2008 is that it is externally assessed on an ongoing basis leaving no room for complacency. The East London branch’s all-round quality levels are excellent and they will ensure that they not only maintain these levels but that they improve on them on a continuous basis,” he says.

Currently the two of the biggest customers of the branch are supply chain logistics service provider InSync Solutions and Anax Logistics, which provides Mercedes South Africa with a range of non-core services. “We have dedicated ourselves to giving these customers – as with all our customers – the best possible service. By taking full responsibility for the MHE function we try to free our customers to focus on their core business,” Rennie says.

The fact is many of GLTC’s blue-chip customers today virtually “outsource” the MHE function to GLTC, who provides them with creative, effective financial packages including outright purchase, rental and structured leasing arrangements, the best possible product to suit their specific needs and, in many cases, a full-time, on-site technical service to ensure the absolute minimum downtime.

At Mercedes alone, Goscor holds about R1 million worth of battery and machine spares. “With 55 MHE units, five satellite battery bays and 350 batteries under our management at Mercedes, we need to be ready for every eventuality,” says Rennie.

While the automobile industry is obviously central to the East London region, GLTC has made it clear that it is open for business to anyone who requires forklifts or any other of their wide range of MHE. “Currently, we service other blue-chip customers like Nestle, Boxer Cash and Carry, Rhino Cash and Carry and more and we will be aggressively looking for more businesses that could use a world-class forklift and MHE service,” Shafto says.

GLTC East London will be supplying the full range of GLTC brands, which include: Crown, the world’s leader in the manufacture of electric materials handling equipment; Doosan, a globally recognised manufacturer of one of the finest selections of lift trucks and which offers a 60-month, unlimited hours guarantee on its ‘brakes for life’ system; Bendi, a revolutionary counterbalanced, articulating forklift, which can work in very narrow spaces; Hubtex, a German-designed range of industrial MHE specialising in long and difficult loads; Taylor-Dunn, a world-renowned manufacturer of industrial and commercial vehicles specialising in burden carriers, personnel carriers and tow vehicles and BHS, the largest manufacturer of battery handling equipment in the world.

Shafto says that GLTC’s success is founded on two fundamental principles: Firstly, the integration of the sales and service functions to create a well-oiled team able to provide its customers with the correct solutions in double-quick time and, secondly, the concept that the foundation of world-class service is world class product.

“The East London branch has all of this – outstanding people, great product and now a state-of the-art facility from which it can service its clients. We wish them good luck for the future and may they continue to ensure that GLTC products sold through their branch have the lowest cost-of-ownership in the industry, which is, after all the hallmark of a great equipment supplier.” Shafto concluded.