Cat Lift Trucks has signed a preferred supplier master agreement with leading international third-party logistics provider CEVA Logistics for the provision of materials handling equipment and materials handling solutions worldwide.

Under the agreement, Cat will provide a range of materials handling equipment to many of CEVA's 1,000 locations around the globe. CEVA currently runs a fleet of over 5,000 forklifts.

The latest deal extends a long-standing partnership between the two companies which goes back to the days when CEVA was known as TNT Logistics. Previous milestones in the partnership include Cat winning a preferred supplier contract for the whole of Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2003 and being named a worldwide preferred supplier in early 2007.

Cat won the latest contract as a result of a combination of factors, including the quality of its equipment, the competitiveness of its overall package and its excellent record on service and support.

"It was all about the total package - a combination of the commercial offering, the service, and the truck quality," says Igor Magud, head of category sourcing at CEVA.

The new contract is part of a drive by CEVA to reduce the number of materials handling equipment suppliers it deals with around the world. "The move will simplify administration and result in significant cost savings," he explains. Magud adds that he is confident the new relationship will stretch far into the future. "We view this very much as a long-term strategic partnership," he says. "We now have what we consider a market-leading solution and we feel we'll be entrenched together for a very long time."

"It was a long and tough process we set out on in 2006, but based upon our dedication and hands-on mentality, our materials handling solutions package, which was developed especially for CEVA Logistics' business, really stood out from the crowd," adds Tjeerd Koppenol, Cat's international accounts manager.