Hoppecke moved the entire stand that it used at a recent expo using forklifts.

Hoppecke Industrial Batteries has done what it believes no other company has done before - it recently moved a whole expo stand to its offices in Newcastle-upon-Lyme.

Instead of dismantling the stand used at a recent engineering exhibition in Birmingham, Hoppecke moved the entire structure, a task involving forklifts powered by Hoppecke batteries and a high-profile escort up the UK's longest motorway, the M6.

The stand is now used as a visitor centre, showcasing the company's equipment and systems. On display is Hoppecke's trak air system, which it claims is becoming the standard for battery recharging. The visitor centre also features Hoppecke's high-frequency chargers that are fitted with a microprocessor that acts as a data management system and reduces battery charging time by up to two-and-a-half hours.

Bernard Molloy, the company's non-executive director, says Hoppecke had always planned to recycle the exhibition stand in this way because it was a cost-effective solution.

"These structures are expensive and would normally be thrown away, so reusing this and extending the lifetime of it makes financial and environmental sense."