DSG international awards major £4 million contract to finning

Finning Materials Handling, the sole national distributor of Cat Lift Trucks in the UK, has been awarded preferred supplier status by DSGi plc, Europe's leading electrical retailing group, in a new £4 million contract.

The landmark agreement means that Finning Materials Handling will supply 165 Cat Lift Trucks over the next five years to DSGi, as part of a major restructure of its national distribution network. The restructure, already well under way, will provide a world-class delivery service for customers and DSGi stores alike.

The first phase of the new contract involved the delivery of 29 trucks in April 2006 to a 250,000 sq ft warehouse in Avonmouth, Bristol. This was recently followed by a further 38 trucks delivered to a new 1.4 million sq ft national campus in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Once completed and fully operational this summer, the national campus will be one of the largest and most effective distribution centres in Europe.

In addition, Finning has also been awarded the supply of 40 Cat DP20CN to DSGi's Cross Dock Operations, which handles the local delivery to some 1200 high street and out-of-town stores and home delivery service throughout the UK. As part of the deal, Finning modified its reach truck range to include a separate fifth lever for the opening / closing clamps and the side shift. The total fleet management solution that Finning is providing includes an all-in maintenance contract worth £1.3m.

Steve Harris, MHE technical adviser at DSG international, said: “It is vital that our distribution centres deliver a supremely efficient operation throughout the year, but particularly during peak trading that runs from September to February. Over the last three years, Finning has become our supplier of choice for short-term rental equipment due to their ability to deliver a very high quality product at only 24 hours notice. We chose Finning because of the excellent on-going service we have received along with the reputation and reliability of the Cat brand.”

Tom Fawcett, general manager of operations at Finning Materials Handling, said: “DSG international is the largest electrical retailer in the UK and we are delighted to be supporting their new state-of-the-art distribution network. The contract was awarded in the face of strong competition, signalling another important milestone in strengthening Finning's presence in the warehouse sector.”

For more information on Finning's extensive range of Cat Lift Trucks visit www.finning.co.uk.