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Well-known third-party logistics services specialist and long-standing Flexi truck user, Bowker Group, has added two new additional Flexi articulated VNA warehouse machines to the materials handling fleet that operates at the most recent addition to its logistics property portfolio.
Located in Thorne, a small town on the outskirts of Doncaster, Bowker’s new 165,000 sq ft food grade facility offers 31,000 pallet locations and provides easy access to the port of Immingham as well as Doncaster’s iPort rail hub.
The Flexis will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and efficient flow of incoming and outgoing orders of both raw materials and finished goods throughout the multi-client store.
The two new Flexi models on site at Thorne were supplied by Narrow Aisle Ltd. Custom-built to match Bowker’s precise needs they feature several special modifications including bespoke height selectors configured to match new racking and heightened safety features.
Narrow Aisle was able to build the trucks and deliver them to Bowker’s Thorne site within two weeks of receiving the completed paperwork for the order. Such a short lead-time was essential as the racking system was already close to completion within the unit when the purchasing decision was finalised and any hold up in getting the trucks on site would have delayed the new facility’s ‘go live’ date.
Our ability to respond extremely quickly to Bowker’s demand for new fully configured Flexi trucks gave us a commercial advantage. Having operated Flexis across its business for several years Bowker already knew about the product’s quality and drivability, but it was important for us to be able to satisfy the company’s urgent need for the new trucks to be up and running in under a fortnight.
Narrow Aisle’s managing director, Donald Houston
If the new machines had not been delivered on time, Bowker’s new facility would have risked failing a full site inspection that had been arranged. Failure would mean that the unit could not be ‘signed off’ – a scenario that would incur considerable extra expense for Bowker not just because the costly inspection process would have to be repeated all over again but also, of course, because Bowker would suffer a significant loss in earnings if the site was not operational for several weeks later than projected.
I am convinced that there is not another workforce in the country capable of achieving the order turnaround speed that we managed for Bowker and I could not be prouder of every member of our team.
Narrow Aisle’s managing director, Donald Houston
In addition to their unique technical spec Bowker’s new Flexi trucks are finished in the company’s distinctive blue corporate colour. The ‘Bowker blue’ forklifts stand out from the other Flexis at the Thorne site that are coloured traditional ’Flexi red.’
The new trucks’ eye-catching appearance helps to highlight the fact that the machines only operate inside the building – unlike the other models in Bowker’s Flexi fleet at Thorne, which shuttle back and forth to the yard area to deliver outbound loads from the store to the waiting delivery vehicles or vice-versa when inbound goods arrive.
Narrow Aisle supplied the new trucks on a contract hire package with fixed maintenance included as part of the agreement. By maintaining a thorough maintenance regime Bowker ensure the highest performance of every truck within their fleet throughout its lifecycle and deliver on-going operating cost benefits which have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line.
Bowker’s faith in the Flexi brand is reflected in the fact that the Thorne site’s racking was configured with Flexi trucks in mind. The storage system is 12.8 metres tall at its highest point and the aisles are fixed at 2.3m metres wide to allow both slow moving and frequently picked items on either Euro or ISO pallets to be accommodated and moved efficiently.
Bowker aims to run all its sites in an environmentally responsible way so a low energy, battery charging system was supplied and installed by Narrow Aisle Ltd to ensure that the electric-powered Flexis operate at optimum efficiency 24/7 if required. Four heavy-duty batteries were also supplied so each new truck has a spare power unit ready and available as and when required.
No chains or slings are required during battery change over operations. The Flexi’s battery is removed simply and safely at low level from the rear by the operator using a hand pallet truck or another forklift.
We have a long-established partnership with Narrow Aisle and Flexi articulated forklift truck technology plays an important role in ensuring that the materials handling processes at all of our sites are space, cost and time-efficient.
Flexis are an essential part of our business and in our experience the trucks offer a wide range of advantages that allow us to get the best return on investment from our storage space.
James Ganley
It is always special when we get repeat orders from valued long standing customers which demonstrates their trust in the Flexi articulated truck range and we are delighted to have been able to meet the challenge that Bowker set our factory on this occasion.
Narrow Aisle’s managing director, Donald Houston
