Knights of Old Group's UniCarriers fleet is growing

The Knights of Old Group, one of the largest privately owned logistics companies in the Midlands, has signed a new contract that sees UniCarriers become the company's sole supplier of industrial indoor and outdoor trucks.

Previously, the Knights of Old Group's forklift fleet was split between internal and external materials handling equipment. Under the new contract, UniCarriers will become the group's sole supplier.

Kelvin Gingell, Knights of Old's group logistics director, notes his company's long working relationship with UniCarriers (formerly Atlet). "We went through a robust tender process, giving our operators the chance to test drive the potential new equipment and benchmark against competitors.

"The operators were able to sit on different trucks and see what they liked and fed that back to the management team who were making the ultimate decision.

"UniCarriers have been very proactive in their approach to the new contracts and have considered the long-term relationship. They have listened to our requirements and offered a solution that is backed up with first-class service engineers.

"We have a flexible agreement that enables us to swap out kit throughout the term of the contract depending on our ever-evolving business requirements."

UniCarriers has been working with the Knights of Old Group since 1999. Over the years, the relationship has always been close, with the focus on being proactive and the holding of regular service review meetings to monitor performance and discuss different projects.

Alan Pitt, the area sales manager at UniCarriers, has been managing the Knights of Old Group contract since 2008. "UniCarriers have worked closely with Knights of Old for many years and continue to enjoy an active and rewarding partnership," he says.

"The new contract means that UniCarriers will now become the sole supplier of materials handling equipment to the Knights of Old Group, supplying equipment to six different sites. From the position of sole supplier, UniCarriers are ideally placed to provide flexibility and support to match the Knights of Old Group's seasonal demands.

"The Knights of Old operation is a busy and rapidly developing one where a close working relationship is key for both parties. UniCarriers are looking forward to supporting the Knights of Old Group for many years to come."

The latest batch of 27 trucks has been delivered to the Knights of Old Group, spread across three depots.

Knights of Old traces its history to 1865, when William Knight began transporting goods using a horse and cart. With family members soon entering the business, more work could be taken on and a strong and reliable reputation soon developed. In 1918, the company began to use motorised vehicles. The company became Knights of Old Limited in 1957.