Pentalver makes a £5 million investment with Briggs Equipment

Pentalver has announced a further investment in its materials handling resources after concluding a new £5 million deal with asset management and engineering services specialist Briggs Equipment.

One of the UK's foremost providers of container-related services, Pentalver is adding 19 new Hyster machines to its fleet following a detailed tender process involving an in-depth assessment of the marketplace and potential suppliers.

The new machines will complement the existing 22 Hyster container handlers - successfully introduced by Briggs in 2015 - which boosted the Pentalver group's container handling capabilities across its terminals at Cannock, Felixstowe, Southampton, Tilbury and London Gateway.

As well as representing a significant commitment to the group's future business expansion plans, the investment also underlines Pentalver's confidence in Briggs Equipment, which will supply, maintain and manage the fleet, as Managing Director Chris Lawrenson outlined.

He said: "Reliability is crucial to our success. Our customers rely on us and we, in turn, need to be able to rely on our suppliers.

"Briggs Equipment continues to impress us with the scope of its capabilities, high standards of customer service and commitment to helping us achieve our commercial objectives. This, combined with the quality and durability of the Hyster product and the advice and assistance available from Hyster's support teams, gives us real confidence for the future."

Scheduled for delivery throughout 2017, the new Hyster equipment comprises 13 dedicated empty container handlers, specified in both single and double lift variations capable of stacking containers six high, and six Hyster RS4531CH laden reachstackers. Eight of the machines will be put to work at Pentalver's Felixstowe terminal and six will go to Southampton while the Tilbury and Cannock operations will take delivery of three and two machines respectively. All machines will be fitted with Hyster Tracker to ensure optimum fleet and operator performance while also maximising asset utilisation.

Briggs will manage the service support contract using its market-leading asset management tool BE Portal, which provides total transparency and supports top level decision-making to improve fleet management and enhance workplace safety.

Acknowledged for taking a lead role in improving industry safety, Pentalver has worked closely with Briggs Equipment to ensure its operators adhere to best practice. Featuring enhancements to container locking plus additional cameras, the new container handlers and reachstackers are specified to make safety the number one priority, when drivers are at the controls and away from the container stacks.

Paul Giles, Ports and Terminals Business Development Manager at Briggs Equipment, said: "During the past 18 months our dedicated account managers, customer contract managers and regional service managers have worked in partnership with Pentalver to help drive up productivity by ensuring maximum utilisation of its Hyster equipment.

"We take a unique approach to meeting the requirements of port operators and freight handling businesses and this important new contract showcases our ability to support what is a critical business sector for the UK."

Pentalver's operations include four of the UK's main ports and an inland depot in the heart of the Midlands. As a result of expansion during the past 20 years, Pentalver has established itself as a key provider of innovative container solutions to customers across the UK. 

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