Briggs and Yale work in partnership to win ASCO contract

Briggs Equipment and Yale Europe Materials Handling have secured a contract to replace the forklift fleet of one of the world's leading oil and gas logistic companies that is streamlining its UK operations.

The agreement with ASCO will see Briggs replacing an existing mixed fleet with 65 items that include large-capacity Yale forklifts, narrow-aisle equipment and other materials handling products. The value of the contract is confidential.

Many of the trucks are operating at 12 ASCO sites in North East Scotland, including the company's Peterhead Offshore Supply Base. The facility operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, helping maintain a continuous flow of supplies to offshore rigs and platforms. Onsite handling equipment loads and unloads up to 60 ships weekly, equivalent to half a million tonnes of supplies annually.

Duncan Bell, the base's operations manager, says the decision to work with Briggs was based on the forklift supplier's track record of finding "the most suitable materials handling solutions backed up by excellent service support".

"If a ship is delayed by just an hour, it could cost us tens of thousands of pounds and so we need handling equipment we can rely on," Bell explains.

"Until recently, we operated trucks from a number of manufacturers but we felt we could gain greater efficiency standardising the fleet. We were impressed by the productivity of the Yale products and the service offered by Briggs," he adds.

The new fleet includes large Yale GDP diesel-powered forklifts, and smaller diesel, electric and LPG counterbalance and warehouse trucks. Very-narrow-aisle Yale forklifts and the MTC 13 man-up turret truck are also operating at the Peterhead base's 140,000 sqft. (13,006 sqm) warehouse.

As part of Briggs' service support, two engineers will be based at Peterhead and an ASCO facility in Aberdeen to conduct full service and maintenance on the equipment.

Richard Close, Briggs Equipment's CEO, says: "We are now looking forward to developing an even closer relationship with ASCO in the years ahead. Briggs Equipment takes a long-term partnership approach, working alongside customers to add real value to their logistics operations."

Briggs Equipment UK Ltd, headquartered in Cannock, is the sole distributor in Great Britain of Yale Materials Handling products.