Office Affairs

The Danwood Group has acquired two new heavy-duty PowerMate stairclimbers from materials handling specialist Stanley Handling for the delivery and installation of reprographic equipment.

Established in 1971, the Danwood Group is one of the largest independent suppliers of total office solutions for the UK and Ireland. The company supplies sophisticated colour and mono digital printing systems from manufacturers such as Sharp, Ricoh, Konica and HP together with associated finishing equipment. A wide range of commercial, public sector and industrial customers include Cadbury, Countrywide, The University of Manchester and Lancashire County Council.

The delivery and installation of these large, high-value pieces of equipment has always presented a logistical challenge and for some years the company have been using both the lightweight Liftkar and heavier-duty PowerMate powered stairclimbers already supplied by Stanley. However, as the size, weight and complexity of these units has increased so have the demands on distribution personnel.

The introduction of the Sharp MX-M850 and the HP CM8000 series, both of which are large, awkward to handle and can weigh up to 320kgs, signalled a need to upgrade and a further two new PowerMate M1 stair climbers were supplied.

PowerMate enables delivery teams to load and unload machines from vehicles, transport them to and from access points and then 'walk' them with minimal effort up and down steps and staircases that can be steep and narrow or where lifts are not available. The addition of a special landing extender allows teams to negotiate the tightest of landings and corridors and deliver the high-value machines safely, quickly and in perfect condition to a demanding clientele.

As Geoff Wray, group distribution manager at Danwood, commented, “PowerMate has always been an excellent tool, helping us deliver a first rate service. The bigger model makes our lives incomparably easier and Stanley's operator training and overall service have been a real bonus.”