(L-R) Tony Jennings of IPS and Bob Curtis of Kanoo Group seal their JV agreement with a handshake.

UK-based parts supplier IPS is forming a joint venture with Kanoo Machinery, the plant and equipment division of the Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group, which it says is the largest independent family-owned group of companies in the Gulf.

The joint venture company, IPS Middle East, is expected to deliver better parts availability and competitive pricing to customers in the lifting equipment sector.

According to IPS, the joint venture aims to achieve this through the combined expertise of IPS and Kanoo in replacement parts, the increased range of parts the JV can offer and the geographical reach of Kanoo's parts depots. "The JV can offer overnight delivery (of) parts throughout the UAE and will hold extensive inventory at its main warehouse in Jebel Ali."

Kevin Shadbolt, operations director for IAPS Group, IPS's parent company, says: "IPS Middle East will build on our existing relationships with major rental companies in this region. We have a sound understanding of the market and its growing requirements."

IPS Middle East will serve customers across the Gulf and the Maghreb region of Africa, as well as the Indian sub-continent. It is the largest expansion of the IPS network to date. The joint venture has a combined inventory of over 100,000 unique parts.

An IPS spokesman tells Forkliftaction.com News that additional staff will be hired in the future. "We don't have information on how many new jobs this expansion will create. However, the goal of the JV clearly is to increase parts availability and, therefore, parts sales in the region which, in turn, will require further investment in staffing."

IPS Middle East has dedicated personnel based in the UAE. It will also utilise Kanoo's existing parts infrastructure, which currently employs over 40 people in five branches, with three more branches opening before the end of 2014.

The joint venture company is led by Praveen Hubli, divisional manager of parts operations for Kanoo Machinery.

IPS has over a decade of experience in supplying replacement parts and is the official UK parts distributor for a number of manufacturers including Genie, Hinowa, Omme Lift, Isoli, Youngman BoSS, Grove Manlift, Manitou, Pop-Up and MEC.

For the JV, IPS has also created a substantial database of after-market parts for lesser-known brands and obsolete machines.

Kanoo Machinery has a long history in this region and more than 1,000 active customers. It represents brands including Bobcat, Hitachi, Sullair, Perkins and Grove in the UAE. The company represents nine brands of construction and materials handling equipment. It offers next-day delivery on 18,000 line items to more than 1,000 customers across the Gulf.

Bob Curtis, Kanoo Group CEO for UAE and Oman, says: "The Gulf states, India and North Africa have all experienced high growth in the adoption and use of powered access over the past few years. IPS Middle East will bring increased price competitiveness and parts availability to this region, which can only be of benefit to rental companies and other aerial lift owners."

IPS Middle East will hold a significant inventory of parts at Kanoo Group's logistics and distribution centre in Jebel Ali, UAE. From there, it will ship parts direct to customers throughout the region as well as to local Kanoo Machinery parts retail facilities.