Chris Bates

Rather than taking a dedicated stand, UniCarriers opted to support the Talent in Logistics Forklift Driver of the Year competition at IMHX, according to Chris Bates, sales director.

Like many at IMHX, Bates sees significant opportunities around automation.

"A lot of businesses have wanted to look down the automation route (as labour becomes more scarce), but very few operations lend themselves to this."

Bates believes the amount of chatter around automation is disproportionate to the number of businesses that can currently use it.

That said, demand is very strong and the two AGV suppliers associated with UniCarriers both have full order books, according to Bates. "Lead times are over 12 months now for that type of equipment."