Sainsbury’s has taken delivery of 140 refurbished forklift trucks at its St Albans distribution centre.
The trucks –a mix of low-level order pickers, reach and counterbalance models – were supplied by Jungheinrich as new products to Sainsbury’s in 2005.
After six years of service, the fleet was due to be replaced. Jungheinrich suggested buying back Sainsbury’s entire fleet and refurbishing each truck – together with the batteries used to power them – and then contract hiring the forklifts to Sainsbury’s on a three year deal with parts and maintenance included.
Sainsbury’s mobile plant equipment fleet manager Derek Boghurst said: “My colleague Gary King and I both looked very closely at Jungheinrich’s proposition and the kind of environmental and financial savings which the deal could bring to our business.
“We concluded that it was an excellent opportunity that worked well for us on a number of levels,” he said.
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The refurbishment process began in Autumn 2011 and was completed in phases over six months. Jungheinrich supplied ‘bridging’ trucks to ensure that Sainsbury’s business was not interrupted during the phased refurbishment process.
Neil Warren, Jungheinrich’s used equipment and short term rental director, said: “We have always contended that a good quality used truck that has been fully refurbished to the relevant European standards represents far better value than certain new models on the market. As I believe this deal demonstrates, Sainsbury’s agrees with our view.”