Firm puts faith in long term forklift supplier

They had been using Manitou rough terrain forklifts for a number of years and had built up a good working relationship with the local dealer Hessle Fork Trucks of Castleford Yorkshire.

Manitou and Hessle was able to offer Askern a "one stop shop” for all their material handling requirements. The site was evaluated and the requirements discussed so that the correct Manitou machinery could be selected.

The Askern fleet now comprises of M50-4 rough terrain forklifts for the handling of heavy timber packs on semi stabilised ground, MI 35 machines for moving material and unloading/loading trailers in the yard, ME 315 for working in the factory and Electric pallet trucks for precise placement during production.

One of the key buying decisions was the build quality and simplicity of the Manitou Industrial range. The atmosphere is very dusty and the ground uneven so the MI range with direct mount hydraulic systems, excellent driver ergonomics and optional half cabs was appreciated by the drivers who have to operate the machines in all weather conditions.

The other main reason to purchase the Manitou machines was the backup service Askern had already been receiving from Hessle Fork trucks. Hessle’s Castleford depot is very close to Askerns’ production facility and they have over 30 years of experience of Manitou products. This experience enables them to offer a professional and prompt after sales service on all of the Askern machines.