South African-based forklift business Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) has reported strong sales growth in 2006.
GLTC is a division of the Goscor Group of Companies, an engineering, materials handling and cleaning equipment distributor, established in 1984. GLTC has operated since 1984 and is the sole South African distributor of Crown and Daewoo products. It has distributed Crown forklifts for more than 20 years and has branches in Johannesburg (head office), Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Nelspruit. In 2006, Goscor sold more than 500 Crown units, a statement said.
"After the first 10 years of success with Crown, Goscor added Daewoo, now Doosan. Since the introduction of Doosan, Goscor has grown its market share in a very competitive market. The market share in electric units is 28 per cent and 10 per cent in IC units, giving us a total market share of 15 per cent," the statement said.
It said the 500 Crown units sold were very narrow aisle forklifts, reach trucks, counterbalanced forklifts and powered pallet trucks. They were supplied to Spar, Makro and Pick 'n Pay "to name a few". Pick 'n Pay placed an order for 155 units for its new distribution centre.
Goscor's Western Cape managing director John Petrie said sales increases prompted his distributorship to leave its 400 square metre premises last October and move to a warehouse four times that size in Parow industrial estate.
Petrie said there had been keen interest in Crown's TSP 6000 series pallet, counter-balanced forklifts and "the Wave". The Wave Work Assist Vehicle, manufactured by Crown Equipment Corp in the US, is an electric vehicle that can elevate an operator at heights up to 17 feet and has a zero turning radius.
"Until Crown developed the Wave, workers struggled to manually carry boxes, equipment or tools from one place to the other. Now the dangers of using ladders and workers climbing on boxes, racks and shelves can be avoided," Petrie said.
The statement said: "Goscor also competes in the diesel-powered forklift sector with Doosan Daewoo heavy duty machines and its Goslift series. The Goslift series is pallet trucks sourced from China for sole distribution in the South African market."
GLTC has dealers in Pietersburg, Bloem, East London, Botswana and Swazi Land.
The statement said the South African distribution market included South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It was "normally cheaper to buy from South Africa and have product shipped to neighbouring countries than having products imported to African operations from international destinations, such as Europe or the US".