Yale donated 400,000th manufactured truck to a charity

There was a celebration held at Yale Europe Materials Handling Craigavon plant in Northern Ireland in the middle of January, as the 400,000th manufactured truck rolled off the production line and was handed over to the international charity Oxfam. The milestone was celebrated by the factory employees, suppliers, and dignitaries, including the North Ireland Minister of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Jonathan Bell MLA and representatives of public administration.

The ceremonial presentation was made to Oxfam Finance Director Alison Hopkinson by Craigavon Plant Manager Jim Downey. The specially manufactured truck Yale Veracitor VX which has been signed by all the staff of the Craigavon plant will serve at Oxfam distribution centre in Bicester.

Oxfam responds to emergencies around the world, for example saving lives by delivering the ability to source and store clean water for drinking and sanitation. Its Bicester depot currently operates with a 20-year-old counterbalance 2.5 ton, LPG, 4-wheel truck which is in desperate need of replacing. The Veracitor VX was selected as the truck of choice because it offers the highest levels of productivity, ergonomics and dependability.

“We are all incredibly proud that the 400,000th truck has been produced here in Craigavon, and we wanted to celebrate the contribution made by so many people in achieving that milestone,” said Iain Friar, Yale brand manager. “Yale is committed to ‘people, products and productivity’ and we firmly believe that it is our people who have put us where we are today. The 400,000th truck is the embodiment of the innovative approach and loyalty we receive from our Yale people.” Ian Friar also pointed out, that the intent was to choose a charity with the same ethos as Yale, an organisation that has people at its core. “Oxfam is internationally recognised for helping people in need and we felt that one of our forklift trucks would actually be of real benefit to its operation.”

Following Friar’s speech Alison Hopkinson of Oxfam said: “This forklift truck will be used in our Bicester warehouse where we hold equipment to deploy at speed wherever in the world there is an emergency. The new truck will replace the 20-year-old model our logistics team currently use. So not only does this truck represent a real cost saving to Oxfam, it will help us come to the aid of people in desperate need more efficiently. Oxfam has been fortunate to receive great support in Northern Ireland over the years relying on the generosity of its supporters and we are so grateful and touched by the Yale team’s kind and thoughtful gift.”

Behind the scenes planning for the charitable donation began many months ago, with the technical team from Yale asking Oxfam exactly what sort of truck would suit its needs in terms of capacity, capability and fuel type. By liaising with the logistics manager from Oxfam, UK territory manager for Yale, Andrew Hine, specified that the 400,000th truck should be a GDP/GLP20-30VX model, selected for its manoeuvrability, reach and ease of use.

Oxfam’s Bicester warehouse handles a variety of load sizes and weights, which have been manually weighed on scales prior to despatch via air freight around the world. Yale’s partners, RAVAS have generously donated i-Forks for the 400,000th truck to save Oxfam precious time by automatically weighing the load when it is lifted. As Oxfam’s truck needs to be always ready to respond to emergencies Yale’s UK dealer, Briggs Equipment has offered to maintain and service the truck. This is another example of Yale working with its partners to tailor the solution to the client.