UKMHA and CFTS to open new headquarters

Leicestershire, United Kingdom

The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) and CFTS, the industry standard body for Thorough Examinations, have announced they will open a new, purpose-built headquarters and training centre in Kibworth, Leicestershire.

The move is designed to ensure improved accessibility for members across the UK attending training, technical support, and events, UKMHA states, as it is centrally located with strong road and rail links.

Robert Fisher, chief executive of UKMHA says: “Our members are spread from Cornwall to the Highlands, and as the industry’s voice, we need to be accessible to everyone”.

“By relocating to the Midlands, we’re putting ourselves quite literally at the centre of the industry — making it simpler for more members to reach us,” he adds.

“Our industry depends on consistency, safety, and shared standards. This new facility gives us the space, resources, and accessibility to train more people, faster.”

The new location will have training suites and workshops, meeting spaces, hold hands-on demonstrations as well as hosting the offices for both industry bodies.

Concentric PowerHIVE hits milestone 

Dallas, TX, United States

Concentric’s autonomous forklift battery management system PowerHIVE has reached the milestone of 250,000 battery swaps across the United States.

Dallas-headquartered Concentric’s PowerHIVE system standardises batteries to a single size and offers centralised charging in a compact footprint.

“The first 100,000 swaps took 20 months,” says John Winter, president & CEO of Concentric. “The next 150,000 happened in seven. That is exponential growth fuelled by simplicity and results.”

In March, PowerHIV was named the winner of MHI's 2025 Innovation Award in the Best Innovation of an Existing Product category.

Transnet orders hybrid straddle carriers 

Cape Town, South Africa

South Africa’s state-owned port operator, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), has ordered 16 hybrid straddle carriers from Kalmar for its Cape Town and Port Elizabeth container terminals.

Kalmar says the hybrid straddle carriers, expected to be delivered in Q2 2026, will be the first of their kind delivered by the company to a customer in Southern Africa.

Twelve of the new straddle carriers will be deployed at the Port Elizabeth Container Terminal and four at the Cape Town Container Terminal.

TPT operates 16 sea-cargo terminals across South Africa with an equipment fleet which currently includes forklifts, diesel electric straddle carriers, RTGs, reach stackers, empty container handlers and terminal tractors.

Dean Moodley, general manager of capital projects at TPT, says the new hybrid machines will support the company's sustainability goals.