NTP's Sydney facilities

Manitou Australia has signed a long-term distribution agreement with NTP Forklifts Australia to handle the sales and service of Manitou rough-terrain materials handling products in Sydney and the Greater Sydney Region, including Newcastle and Wollongong, with immediate effect.

Stuart Walker, managing director of Manitou Australia, says the move is part of Manitou’s focus on deploying reliable and powerful networks locally.

"To keep pace with the ever-changing market, we continue to invest in our network with the aim to ensure our business is meeting our customers’ expectations and provide the best innovative solutions delivering increasing value for customers. With the appointment of NTP Forklifts Australia in Sydney, we are further cementing our position as the Australian market leader."

NTP Forklifts Australia has had a 30-year association with the Manitou product, according to CEO Damien Garvey.

"We have an in-depth knowledge of this world-class product in both sales and aftersales support, and have grown up with Manitou in the Australian rough-terrain market from its infancy," he explains, adding that the addition of the Manitou product to its NSW operation completes its footprint across the eastern and southern states of Australia.

NTP has close to 250 staff throughout Australia. "At this early stage, we have taken on one additional sales executive to sell the Manitou products and moved one existing sales executive to Manitou sales," Garvey tells Forkliftaction.com News.

"Our service department has been strengthening its (resources) for a couple of months to gear up for any additional aftersales work. However, we already have a strong aftersales department to cater for rough-terrain equipment and have been working with this equipment in NSW since 1999," he adds.

Garvey believes the addition will have a significant impact on the Sydney dealership: "As the market in NSW includes mining and resources, construction, industrial applications and agriculture (among others), there is great potential in NSW to assist these industries in finding unique solutions to help their businesses."