When we discuss poignant deliveries and manufacturing history, never have we witnessed two companies so entwined, that it physically shaped their futures such as The Bristol Port Company and SveTruck.
To truly understand the importance of The Bristol Port Company’s latest purchase, we first must understand the history that ties both companies together.
In the very early 90’s entrepreneur’s Sir David Ord and Terence Mordaunt went out to market for small to medium size forklifts to support their recent acquisition of The Bristol Port Company from Bristol Council. At the time this was the first major investment in plant equipment for the pair, and to date they have invested over £475 million ensuring The Bristol Port Company is one of the UK’s most diverse and efficient Ports.
To match the long-term business aspirations, The Bristol Port Company chose SveTruck, which at the time were little unknown in the UK, however their reputation proceeded them in Scandinavian home markets where asset life and machine strength are the key barometers for success.
The first order of 27 units were delivered in fresh red and white SveTruck livery which latterly was adopted by The Bristol Port Company for their corporate colours which can be witnessed everywhere on site.
At the time of the order, Sweden was in deep recession, interest rates were at an all-time high with major production facilities closing their doors every day never to reopen.
With the size of The Bristol Port Company order, SveTruck were not only able to navigate the recession which would surely see them close their doors but carried this out without making a single redundancy to its staff, quite simply an incredible stroke of fortune and timing.
Never has the importance of The Bristol Port Company order been forgotten by the SveTruck family and when the words “Bristol Port” are spoken in the Ljungby production facility, everybody stops to listen.
So, after nearly a 20-year gap, why did Bristol choose SveTruck again?
Well we could write the story of SveTruck latest D5 technology and fleet management systems, however whilst nice additions to their forklifts, this was not the driving reason.
Quite simply, The Bristol Port Company know that SveTruck will last the test of time in any application and when you need your assets to perform consistently over a 20-year period, there is only one manufacturer that can achieve this.
Chris Barnes, Cooper SH Sales Director said: ‘They know in trusting SveTruck, that the drivers have the safest cabin in the market, their engineers have a machine that is simple for maintenance and cost efficient, along with spare parts back-up that are produced in house.’ Chris added: ‘They are acutely aware that SveTruck design will not evolve for the sake of evolving, yes subtle changes such as engine technology progression, but the key fundamentals that Bristol Port identified in the 90’s remain in design today and for future production.’
Lucy Ellis, Development Engineer at The Bristol Port Company commented, “We are happy to receive our new SVE 33 tonne forklift truck from Cooper Handling. We know SveTruck very well and understand the long-term robustness of the product. After a recent factory visit to Ljungby to see the in-house production, it is no surprise that the large majority of our original purchase are very reliably performing, some 20 years later. This is a solid investment for the Port and further proof to our customers that we choose market leading equipment to provide speed of response, reliability and great flexibility for our customers.”
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Editor’s Notes
Operating in all sectors of heavy lifting across the UK and Ireland, Cooper Specialised Handling is the exclusive UK distributor for SveTruck, RAM Spreaders, Telestack bulk material handling conveying systems and Sany mobile handling equipment, sole UK importer and exclusive distributor for Mantsinen cranes, Movella Translifters, TEC Containers and a long-term specialist in Konecranes lift trucks. The company, which celebrated 20 years in business in 2018, also has a dedicated after-sales division, Cooper Handling Solutions, which specialises in engineering support.
Independently owned, Cooper offers total solutions in both solids and bulk handling. Its customised solutions comprise high quality, high value products and reliable service for businesses operating in the most challenging heavy handling environments, including ports, freight handling, inter-modal terminals, manufacturing and other heavy lifting industries.