The sole distributor of Cat Lift Trucks in the UK and Ireland is expanding in the West Midlands with the acquisition of Abex.

Impact Handling, the sole Cat Lift Trucks distributor for the UK and Ireland, has continued expanding despite difficult trading conditions.

As the company saw demand for lifting equipment fluctuate, it has learned the importance of improving its service, and attributes its success to its high customer service standards.

In August, Impact announced it was expanding into the West Midlands by acquiring Birmingham-based Abex. The acquisition was a good fit because Abex leases forklifts to companies in the Birmingham area.

Abex was established in 1966 and entered the forklift market in 1987. It will continue to use its strong local trading name and will operate as a subsidiary to Impact Handling. The lease on Abex's 7,000 sqft. (650 sqm) facility in Cato Street, Birmingham, has been secured until at least 2019, and the company's 25 staff will remain to run the business unit.

The acquisition, completed for an undisclosed sum, was supported by Impact Handling's South African parent company, Eqstra Holdings.

Terry Kendrew, managing director of Impact Handling, says: "We couldn't have found a business better suited to join our network and represent the Cat Lift Trucks brand. There are strong synergies between Abex and Impact Handling. Like us, Abex is focused on local engagement with customers in similar sectors, they have skilled and experienced staff and provide the full suite of sales, maintenance, parts and short-term rental services."

The new ownership enables Abex to offer the complete Cat Lift Trucks range, replacing a previous agreement with another manufacturer. Abex will also retain its dealership of Combilift machines for the long-load handling market - a brand already offered by Impact Handling.

"Acquisitions are a key part of our growth strategy alongside the organic development of existing depots and our strong track record for winning new business," Kendrew says. "It's an exciting time for Impact Handling as we continue to expand, supported by a parent company keen to invest in overseas business development.

"Over the coming months, we will be working hard to ensure we continue to deliver an excellent and competitive service to all of our customers. Plus we remain active in looking for future opportunities that will complement our existing operations and support our growth," he adds.

Abex currently supplies over 350 machines on rental in the West Midlands, and maintains 600 assets owned directly by customers.

The Birmingham site becomes the 11th Impact Handling depot and follows the opening of a new facility in Manchester.

In March, Impact moved its short-term hire services to a bespoke site in Manchester, in response to increasing requests from firms for shorter contracts.

Many of its customers are experiencing sharper fluctuations in demand than before the recession. Impact responded to the challenge by offering more lease options and setting up the Manchester site to deal specifically with short-term leases.

The Manchester site also brought the company geographically closer to many of its customers, which has helped to improve the speed of its service.