The new agreement will see Impact Handling and its UK-wide network of strategic dealer partners supplying customers with the full range of Carer's electric forklifts ranging from 6-45 tonnes.

Impact Handling has extended its materials handling portfolio from the smallest pallet trucks to specialist port-based machines with lifting capacities of up to 80 T.

The Nottingham-based Cat forklift distributor has just been appointed as the UK distributor for the Konecranes range of heavy-duty forklifts.

This comes three years after Konecranes signed Impact Handling's parent company, Eqstra Industrial Equipment, as a distributor in South Africa - a deal which has already seen ZAR197 million (USD270 million) worth of port machinery delivered into market.

Terry Kendrew, managing director of Impact Handling, says: "In 2012, UK ports handled more than 500 million T of freight, bringing with it a huge requirement for forklifts that can handle both empty and loaded containers.

"We already do significant business in the ports sector, but we've not previously been able to supply machines larger than 28 T. Having a container-handling capability is hugely important to our continued growth and focus on port-centric logistics."

Impact Handling says it is now positioned to respond to the demand it's seeing for the supply of larger heavy-duty forklifts - not just from coastal ports, but from the developing dry 'inland' ports in the Midlands and Doncaster, as well as rail freight terminals nationwide.

Lars Fredin, vice president and head of forklifts at Konecranes, which has headquarters in Markaryd, Sweden, says: "Working together with Eqstra Industrial Equipment has seen us drive significant growth in South Africa in a short space of time. It's a natural step to work with other divisions of the Eqstra Group, and we are keen to build on the long-established relationships Impact Handling has with the industrial sector and UK ports."

Separately, Impact Handling has also been appointed the sole UK distributor for German-based MAFI and Italian-based Carer.

Impact Handling and its UK-wide network of dealer partners will offer customers the full range of MAFI trucks - including distribution tractors and RoRo tractors- and Carer's electric forklifts ranging from 6 to 45 T lifting capacities.

Kendrew says with the MAFI range, the company's portfolio now includes tractors, which will complement its range of materials handling solutions.

"The introduction of the Carer range is another really exciting development for us, as these forklifts bridge the gap in the market for a heavy-duty truck with zero emissions ... We see the trend for the use of large electric machines, predominately seen in mainland Europe, coming to the UK in the not too distant future," he adds.

Carer sales manager Antonella Ghini says the partnership enables the Italian forklift maker to expand the Carer range into the UK market for the first time. "We are looking forward to building on the strong reputation Impact Handling has within the marketplace to help us introduce our products to a much wider audience."

Impact Handling's 150-plus service engineers are experienced at working on heavy-duty forklifts, and the company boasts of "multiple service contracts" with UK-based ports.

The new MAFI and Carer products were displayed on Impact Handling's stand at the Port Centric Logistics show at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in London on 24-26 June.