Mecano Continental, whose Mast Explorer forklifts were distributed in over 50 countries, has closed down but truck users can still source parts, according to the Spanish rough-terrain forklift manufacturer's distributors.

Richard Godfrey from UK forklift dealer Stacatruc says Mecano Continental managing director Francisco T Sánchez Vilar contacted Stacatruc to inform him that Mecano had closed down, and that Vilar had established Mondial Supplier SL and can supply parts to existing truck users.

Godfrey believes Mecano closed around January and since then other UK dealers have been contacting Stacatruc for Mast Explorer parts. "November or December seems to be around the time that parts dried up. The phones stopped being answered in January."

However, in March, Vilar contacted Stacatruc to inform him of his new company, Mondial Supplier SL.

"We are currently supplying three dealers plus our own customer base," Godfrey says. "I have been asked not to disclose the number of Mast Explorers (Stacatruc has) sold, but can confirm those sold have worked well and we are disappointed that production has ceased."

Forkliftaction.com News contacted Vilar but did not receive a response by press time. In February, Vilar told us that although production had slowed down and staff had been reduced, his company was still open and serving parts and machines requests (Forkliftaction.com News #603).

Godfrey says while Mast Explorer forklifts represented a small part of Stacatruc's business (the UK dealer also represents Clark, Samuk, Atlet and Pramac), the two companies' relationship had spanned about 12 years. "Up until recently, their service (for new and used forklifts) has been good."

Ross Grassick, managing director of Australia-based Lencrow Materials Handling, which announced its acquisition of Australasian distributor of Mast Explorer, Calmat, in April, confirmed Mecano Continental had closed. "We have found a supplier that can both source and supply the parts from Spain. We feel that we will not have any problems in working with current Mast owners to give them support into the future."

While Mast Explorer Canada Inc, the official Mast Explorer distributor, was advertising as recently as October 2012 for dealers to join its network in North America, Forkliftaction.com News understands it will close after selling its last two units.