(L-R) Filtermech director Gary Hawkhead with operations director Jon Hewitt.

Doosan Industrial Vehicle UK (DIV UK) has appointed Filtermech Materials Handling as its new authorised forklift dealer for North East and West Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Wakefield-based Filtermec is replacing Delta Hire after the company's owners decided to retire and close the business. Delta Hire was DIV UK's exclusive dealer from 2003 and one of the forklift manufacturer's largest dealers.

DIV UK general manager Tim Waples tells Forkliftaction.com News the two companies had a close working relationship. "They provided a great service to their customers, some of whom had remained loyal to them for almost 30 years. They have supported us at every opportunity including the British Potato Show at Harrogate, where Doosan has exhibited since 2005."

Over 100 Doosan forklift models are available in the UK, ranging in size from 1.5 to 16 T vehicles. The range includes warehouse, counterbalance and reach trucks with LPG, diesel and electric power sources.

Waples is confident that the service provided by Filtermech will match the "reliability and ease-of-use" of Doosan products.

"We already enjoy strong sales across many industries in these parts of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, including the vibrant industrial and agricultural sectors that are essential to the area's heritage. We believe Filtermech is the perfect partner to develop and grow our relationships with local businesses even further."

Filtermech Materials Handling is a sister company to Filtermech Plant Sales, an established dealer of heavy equipment, including, for the last 12 years, Doosan construction equipment. Both companies are part of the CorpAcq Plc group, but have standalone sales and service teams.

Gary Hawkhead, sales director of Filtermech Materials Handling, says: "We fully intend to replicate the successful and long-standing association our sister company has enjoyed with Doosan and the customer satisfaction levels that it has delivered."

DIV UK claims to have one of the largest marketshares in the UK in the traditional engine forklift market, although precise figures are confidential.

"We have continued to grow this overall UK marketshare every year since 2001, even through the recession, and we are now virtually back to our pre-recession sales figures," Waples says. "As a result of strong demand from our customers, the expansion of Doosan's own warehouse range manufactured in Berlin, Germany is providing us with huge growth opportunities to increase market share further."

Doosan Industrial Vehicle, part of the South Korean conglomerate Doosan Group, has over 200 forklift models in its range. Doosan Industrial Vehicle UK is based in Northampton and is supported by a nationwide network comprising 23 regional dealers covering the UK and Ireland.