Rushlift Ltd is supplying JP Corry with Doosan and Combilift forklifts.

Rushlift Ltd has secured a national contract to supply JP Corry, Northern Ireland's largest builder's merchant, with Doosan and Combilift forklifts.

An established business in Ireland with a 140-year history, JP Corry has already received over 40 new Doosan and Combilift trucks at its 17 branches.

The 10-year deal was developed by Rushlift national account manager Matt Turner, who travelled to each site to assess each branch's requirements.

"We've restructured the make-up of the fleet to more accurately reflect the business' needs, and introduced new Combilift equipment which has really pushed the operation forward," he says.

JP Corry's requirements vary across the different depots. Some, particularly in Belfast, have large timber supply operations, while others are more focused on building supplies for the public.

Turner recommended the use of Combilift sideloaders and multi-directional machines as well as conventional forklifts. He also standardised the fleet to improve utilisation and, as a result, was able to reduce the fleet.

Most of the ageing counterbalance forklifts were replaced with a new Doosan kit that was more suitable for the business' requirements.

Turner says the Doosan kit has oil-cooled disc brakes and robust parts, which are more durable and resistant to damage. Lifetime costs have been reduced through better maintenance provision and operator training.

JP Corry's operations director, Richard Whiteside, says Turner and his team have taken great care and diligence in putting together a package that is geared towards the builder's merchant getting a maximum return on investments, and reducing its operational costs.

"Along with the introduction of the new equipment, we have set up our unique online fleet management system, allowing JP Corry to view any truck, on any site and see exactly how the machines are being cared for, enabling them to keep track on expenditure and maintenance responsibilities," Turner explains.

The value of the contract is about GBP2 million (USD3.2 million).

Rushlift, recently identified as one of the UK's fastest growing companies, has over 100 mobile engineers servicing customers from Aberdeen to Cornwall. It is part of the Specialist Hire Group.