Pilkington Automotive has appointed Briggs Equipment, the UK's national Cat Lift Truck distributor, to manage its materials handling operations, in a GBP1.2 million (USD1.8 million) five-year contract.

Richard Leese, Pilkington Automotive's Redditch site manager, says the company is impressed by Briggs' relationship-based approach and the time the distributor invested into producing a solution for Pilkington.

"They have really exceeded our expectations by reducing damage and energy costs and adding value through improved account management," Leese explains.

Briggs' "lifetime cost approach" anticipates helping Pilkington's European distribution centre reduce costs by nearly GBP100,000 (USD145,532) across its warehousing operations. The move is expected to help Pilkington counter the effects of the economic recession while maintaining its productivity.

Briggs supplied the glass manufacturer with a 29-strong fleet of Cat reach trucks, electric three- and four-wheel counterbalanced trucks and pallet trucks, and Dambach man-up VNA equipment. The battery handling and management solution involves the entire fleet and includes a state-of-the-art battery racking system and intelligent chargers providing monthly battery performance reports and battery maintenance.

Briggs estimates that the solution will realise cost savings of GBP93,000 (USD135,344) over the batteries' lifetime compared to conventional battery systems. Also, the energy savings help Pilkington meet its environmental targets by reducing its number of electrical units by nearly 300,000 a year.

Each vehicle in Pilkington's fleet has been fitted with a truck management system and has been modified to ensure each truck meets its department's specific requirements while retaining its flexibility to adapt to other uses.

Briggs account manager Les Knight says the forklift distributor and service provider undertook a series of detailed surveys over a 12-month period to understand Pilkington's cost reduction and environmental priorities.

"The final solution has helped to secure significant cost savings for Pilkington Automotive whilst maintaining high levels of productivity," Knight says.

Pilkington Automotive, part of the NSG Group of Japan, is a global manufacturer and supplier of flat glass for the automotive industry.