The Design Achievement Award at the 2005 Fork Lift Truck Association's Annual Awards for Excellence went to the design team at Combilift Ltd., the originators of the Combilift four-directional forklift truck.
Combilift's MD Martin McVicar accepted the award on behalf of the company from Jim Kearney of Calor, the category sponsor, in front of a capacity audience at Birmingham's Hilton Metropole on 26th February.
"This year's Design Achievement Award recognises an innovative truck concept that truly sells itself" said Paul Nichol, FLTA Vice-Chairman. He went on to recount the rapid success of the Irish company on a global scale, which began with initial exports of the Combilift to Norway within the first year of its development.
The "Archie" award is testimony from the FLTA board to the achievement of the two pioneers of the Combilift concept, Martin McVicar and Robert Moffett in creating a space-saving machine that operates as three trucks in one; a counterbalance forklift, sideloader and four-way reach truck. The versatility of this four-directional concept has fuelled sales in a wide variety of industry sectors.
Commenting on the latest award for Combilift (Martin McVicar was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 and the company has also won the DHL Export Achievement Award), Martin said he was delighted that the forklift industry had recognised the benefits of the Combilift solution, which initially challenged conventional design theory but which has now become an established concept with over 3,000 units now in operation around the world.