Barloworld Handling supplied Hyster forklifts to Chivas Brothers.

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has received a new fleet of Hyster forklifts at its Paisley bottling operation.

The company headquarters in Paisley, near Glasgow, is a major whisky production site. Up to 13 million cases are produced every year. Brands like Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet are bottled onsite after years of ageing in maturation warehouses located in Scotland.

Robert McLean, the Paisley site's dry goods manager, says up to 35 lorries are unloaded each day. "[They] contain palletised cases, empty bottles and labels that must be stored, picked and then fed into the bottling hall. The forklifts are an important part of this."

Barloworld Handling has supplied the new forklifts. A fleet of Hyster electric counterbalance forklifts operates in the dry goods warehouse, including new compact Hyster E1.75XMS four-wheel trucks with cushion tyres. The forklifts operate for a full single daily shift and Barloworld provides Total Battery Management (TBM) that incorporates Hoppecke Industrial Batteries' Trak Air technology.

McLean says the TBM package has led to reduced utility bills and charging time, and maximised truck availability.

At the finished goods warehouse, 2.5 tonne capacity LPG Hyster Fortens forklifts are used for loading up to 60 lorries and containers a day. This can increase to over 100 during busy periods.

Chivas' forklift drivers favoured the forklifts, which are fitted with forks or push-pull attachments, during pre-order trials. Finished goods manager Gary Gibson says the drivers like the "comfort, visibility, manoeuvrability and performance" of the forklifts. They were also attracted to simple features like the reverse horn button on the rear handle.

"The Hyster trucks are used intensely and have proven reliable. The Fortens trucks in particular are tough," Gibson says.

The Chivas finished good warehouse was also one of the first operations to receive Hyster's new E2.50XN four-wheel electric counterbalance forklift. The compact forklift features cushion tyres for indoor use.

The value of the contract is confidential.