Douglas Gillespie Plant delivers best of both worlds 

Transporting 100 tonnes of imported granite, marble, porcelain and ceramic tiles each week relies on much more than manpower. Just ask Scotland’s leading independent tile importer, Cosmo Ceramics. Serving the public, tradesmen and many of Britain’s premier designers, the family-run firm’s showrooms in Glasgow and Greenock rely on a fleet of reach and counterbalance trucks to keep operations running smoothly seven days a week.

But, as director Peter Haig discovered, supporting such a hard-working application can be a tall order. Over the years, Cosmo Ceramics has enlisted materials handling support from businesses of all sizes: from large, national suppliers to the smallest of companies. None managed to successfully deliver the same level of customer service Cosmo delivers its own customers… until the company signed up for preventative maintenance with Glasgow-based Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer Douglas Gillespie Plant (DGP).

When the company’s trucks became too expensive to repair in relation to their value, Peter knew exactly where to turn for expert advice. “Douglas Gillespie Plant is a family-owned business like ourselves,” explains Peter, “which means that decisions are easy to access and there is a friendly, tight-knit culture. Their team offers excellent, professional service.  And, in particular, the sales, admin and engineering staff communicate well and keep their clients well informed.”

 DGP sales executive Craig Davenport assessed the company’s challenging application.  “By nature, ceramic tiles are incredibly heavy – with pallets typically weighing 1.5 tonnes. To stand the high pace, with trucks working ten hours a day, seven days per week, moving goods indoors and out, Cosmo Ceramics’ new trucks needed to be well-considered, efficient and – above all – reliable.”

“Every week, containers of premium tiles arrive from countries including Italy, Spain, Brazil and China – so goods inward is high on the list of priorities. This can be especially challenging when suppliers opt to stack pallets two high. In such tight surroundings, space restrictions mean that both pallets must be moved together,” continues Craig. “Any truck working in these types of conditions must be sturdy and strong, yet compact, so two 3.0 tonne Mitsubishi electric counterbalance trucks (FBC30N) were introduced to the fleet. And what’s more, these four-wheeled machines, fitted with cushion tyres, deliver the strength and speed of a diesel… but without the noise and emissions.”

“In the company’s warehouses, high stockholding levels are kept to ensure large orders of the same batches, or shades, of tiles can be fulfilled easily and quickly. To maximise storage space, narrow aisles are lined with high, hard racking. So, any trucks working there must have high lift capabilities and tight turning circles. DGP recommended the class-leading Mitsubishi 2.5 tonne reach truck (RB25NH).  It’s one of the strongest trucks of its kind on the market – allowing for lifts of up to 9.5 metres.”

To control materials handling costs more efficiently, Cosmo Ceramics opted for a fixed term contract hire agreement. Peter Haig explains: “Leasing these robust, new Mitsubishi vehicles allows us to maximise cash flow while continuing to provide a seamless and highly efficient service – round the clock. And this is particularly pertinent at this time in order to maintain our position as a key distributor to customers which include many of the UK’s leading architectural and design practices, quality house builders and dedicated kitchen and bathroom specialists.”

Martyn Davies, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks UK regional sales manager, is delighted to hear of the excellent service received by Cosmo Ceramics. He says:  “Whether you’re talking about forklifts, truck manufacturers or levels of customer care, reliability is everything. Only a Mitsubishi authorised dealer is able to offer such a full service: a comprehensive product range backed up by award-winning customer support.”

“Like all of our dealers, Douglas Gillespie Plant was handpicked for its excellent customer care reputation. DGP is able to respond quickly to customers’ day-to-day needs and provides a total support package to meet customers’ requirements, backed up by the full support of the global Mitsubishi organisation and its resources.”