Martin McVicar and Combilift's 15,000th vehicle

Combilift showed off the 15,000th product for a UK customer on its stand at the recent IMHX trade show. Around a third of all units manufactured so far by Combilift in Monaghan have been shipped to the UK, confirming CEO and co-founder Martin McVicar's assertion that that country has always been, still is and will remain the most important market for Combilift among the 85 countries to which it exports.

The 15,000th unit is an Aisle Master articulated truck, supplied by Combilift dealer Briggs Equipment to Nestlé, a leading brand in the food sector.

McVicar noted a strong move towards powered pallet trucks in the warehouse market, where aisles are getting narrower and organisations are looking for more compact solutions.

The company displayed its Combi-PPT powered pallet truck, which won the Safety Category of the 2019 FLTA Awards. The model joins Combilift's growing pedestrian range, and comes with standard lift capacities of 3,000 kg to 6,000 kg, with higher lifts up to 16,000 kg available on request.

"Many companies favour walk-behind models ... as these are considered to ensure a higher level of safety where other members of the workforce are present, in busy areas of manufacturing facilities, for example," McVicar explained. The Combi-PPT includes the unique, patented multi-position tiller arm common to all Combilift's pedestrian models - a feature which also secured a BITA Design4Safety Award this year. "This enables the operator to stand at the side of the unit rather than at the rear (as is the case with other walk-behind brands), giving excellent visibility of even the heaviest and bulkiest loads and their surroundings. This position also eliminates any possibility of crush risk when working in confined areas and prevents product damage."