they have already supplied a few local jewson depots with the doosan truck but taken over the larger jewson timber depots and import timber depots at the docks until delivery of the new trucks

but i bet linde was **** they did not look after the customer.

In response to the original question, the answer can likely be found in a) the customer and b) the products selected for this contract.

St Gobain in the UK are, amongst other guises, are better known as Jewsons. Each Jewson branch (and there are hundreds of them) will each need a forklift and/or a sideloader. Each machine will only work 500 hours a year in a very light application so a 10 year deal represents no challenges whatsoever. St Gobain will hardly get excited over brand identity or features and benefits. Forklifts, to them, represent a commodity item so all emotion on choice of product brand is totally removed.

With regards to products, they have opted for Doosan and Combilift - both are amongst the cheapest in their respective field but critically, nationally acceptable as opposed to even cheaper, but totally unknown Chinese equipment.

If St Gobain can save £1000ea for 1000 forklifts and £5000 ea for each sideloader - this makes a saving of £3.5 million which, ultimately, can be converted into shareholder's dividends. That will likely be the real reason why Rushlift won this deal.

Congratulations however to Rushlift for bringing this one home as, surely this had one of the big-four written all over it when the tender was initiated. This must also represent a huge loss for Linde who oversaw Jewsons for the past 10 years too.

Questions must be raised now over the viability of the Linde sideloader product which must be nearly 30 years old now - Jewsons were effectively their only outlet for the ageing design.

Did I hear of a pending tie-up with the (yet again) newly formed SSP?

Coal miner i have never worked for Rushlift and never will, i was amazed to hear that Rushlift had won such a large deal. After reading the previous What's happening at Rushlift post i wanted to hear your thoughts on why they won the business, so I have no ego to massage thanks.

Hurts me to agree with a PIMS Quaffer but i think H.H. is right. I wonder how Wonder Mouse is getting on at ATLET now the bubble has burst with THE ECO NIPS at MISSAN ? It sounds like MISSAN Impossible.

Thanks Millreef, I would like to believe that I am - not sure about the others in terms of intelligence you obviously are in there! Great points you make and I was in C' Wharf today talking finance and debating the very thing you mention - Not MHE related though. Are the Manufacturer's the be all and end all or will they be the END ALL! Have the dealers got a plan B ! Are they all commited to supplying their brand long term? Customers will always need solutions and service though !

I suppose the **** reckons you are in the Intelligent category!!
Rushlift are all about building a business to sell it some time in the future to a manufacturer. This contract will either give them an exit strategy or sink them!!

They certainly don't intend to outlast this contract.

Well us Southern Snobs are actually led to believe that a major sale & lease back was agreed including the replacement of a proportion of the fleet at the outset and Doosan being a straight forward forklift at the right price was ordered. Simple as that - even for a Notherner! That'll be the DAEWOO !

People have to realise that even though most of the 'big boys' doubt the strategic make up of a Company like Rushlift, the actual concept is to provide a solution and service based flexible contract. Without being smart I believe most of the nuts and bolts brigade do not understand this intelligent approach - the industry is moving quickly into 3 ( THREE) clear categories: Metal movers, Traditional Dealer / distributors and Intelligent, value added minority. Ignorance is costly.

cos Doosan actually work to be creative with their dealers! There's no arrogance and all they look for is to understand the customer brief... pretty simple, really!

Looks like quite a big contract from whats been said about Doosan wouldn't want them on a 10 year contract , Wonder why one of the big three did not get it

sounds like young gun needs their ego stroked, obviously rushlift management or sales looking for a cuddle

Its amazed us all but what a great pay day for the sales staff. Perhaps the customer got a RUSH when they saw their quotation. They have been a bit slow on the takeover front though so beware if you employ 11 staff and a cleaner or have had 3 dealerships in the last 4 years..................