Component manufacturer Schaltbau Machine Electrics Ltd (SME) has appointed Independent Parts Specialists (IPS) as its official distributor for the UK powered access market.

The agreement adds 1,000 electrical components to IPS's range of replacement parts.

Kevin Shadbolt, operations director of IAPS Group, which owns IPS, says Schaltbau is a "highly respected manufacturer" of components for materials handling and access equipment.

"This distribution agreement further enhances our offering in replacement parts. It gives our customers even more choice and helps ensure we can provide the best possible solution to meet their needs," Shadbolt says.

Founded in Telford, Shropshire, in 2001, IPS is a leading supplier of spare parts for powered access platforms. The company holds more than 100,000 parts in stock at its 17,500 sqft. (1,626 sqm) warehouse and provides a door-to-door service through its four parts sales vans.

IPS is the official UK parts supplier for Genie, Hinowa, Omme, UpRight, Youngman BoSS, Grove Manlift, Manitou, Pop-Up and Snorkel. It is part of IAPS Group, the UK's largest independent full-service distributor of access equipment.

Based in Cwmbran, Wales, SME produces a wide range of components, including brushes for electric motors, connectors, contacts, contactors, DC-DC converters, diodes and fuses. Part of the global Schaltbau Holdings AG group, it has supplied parts to the UK materials handling sector for more than 40 years.