Alastair and Duncan Nealon receive FLTA's Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of their father, the late Brian Nealon.

The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) presented its highest honour last Saturday to the late Brian Nealon of Bendigo Mitchell at the Annual Awards for Excellence 2011.

Nealon, a former FLTA chairman and president, was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to a standing ovation.

FLTA president John Chappell paid tribute to Nealon's vital work in "laying the foundations for the Association's success". Nealon's sons, Alastair and Duncan, accepted the solid bronze "Archie" on their father's behalf in front of their father's family, friends, colleagues and customers.

Now in its 17th year, the Awards' final four product categories of environment, ergonomics, safety and innovation are the most hotly contested and were won by Hyster, Cat, Mitsubishi and Linde, respectively.

Individuals were also recognised for their work. They included Barloworld Handling's Adam Payne (Apprentice of the Year), Rushlift's Tracy Zissler (Employee of the Year) and United Forktrucks' Paul Nichol (Services to the Fork Lift Truck Association).

Peter Wooldrige of Flexi Narrow Aisle received the Award for Services to the Forklift Industry in recognition of his expertise as an engineer and as a businessman that helped change the face of the forklift industry.

BBC Radio 2 presenter Sally Boazman, who announced the award, said Wooldridge designed and built groundbreaking trucks since the mid 1970s. "His company's first creation, the Rota-Reach, seemed so unusual it earned him an appearance with Raymond Baxter on Tomorrow's World (BBC TV series showcasing new technological developments). Peter went on to become a pioneer and market leader in the development of Very Narrow Aisle technology - popularising the concepts of guided lateral stacking and man-up order picking trucks.

"Then, in 1990, he repeated the feat - and played a huge role in bringing the novel idea of articulated trucks squarely into the mainstream."

This year's Design Achievement Award went to iVT International, an organisation that does not design anything in forklifts except the layout of magazines. Its annual publication, Advanced Lift-Technology, was recognised for its encouragement in the field of forklift design.

Full list of winners

Apprentice of the Year Award
Sponsored by Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks UK
Winner: Adam Payne of Barloworld Handling Ltd

Employee of the Year Award
Sponsored by the Fork Lift Truck Association
Winner: Tracy Zissler of Rushlift UK Ltd

Design Achievement
Sponsored by Samuk Lift Trucks Ltd
Winner: iVT International

Services to the FLTA Award
Sponsored by the Fork Lift Truck Association
Winner: Paul Nichol of United Forktrucks (1992) Ltd

Services to the Fork Lift Truck Industry
Sponsored by Fork Lift Truck Association
Winner: Peter Wooldridge of Narrow Aisle Flexi

Supplier of the Year Award
Sponsored by Doosan Infracore UK Ltd
Winner: PowerCell Industrial Battery Engineers Ltd

Environment Award
Sponsored by Hitachi Capital Business Finance
Winner: Hyster Europe - Tyre-saving drive

Ergonomics Award
Sponsored by GNB Industrial Power
Winner: Cat Lift Trucks - Active Sway Control

Safety Award
Sponsored by the Fork Lift Truck Association
Winner: Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks - GRENDIA overhead guard

Innovation Award
Sponsored by Albury Asset Rentals Ltd
Winner: Linde Material Handling UK Ltd - CiTi Truck

Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by the Fork Lift Truck Association
Winner: Brian Nealon of Bendigo Mitchell Ltd