SANY has made its mark at the UK’s newest logistics park with connecting strategic rail freight terminal after Cooper Specialised Handling secured a new contract for a complete handling solution.
Cooper Specialised Handling, which is the exclusive distributor for SANY equipment in the UK, has supplied the award-winning iPort in Doncaster with two SANY SRSC4535G reachstackers. Fully inclusive maintenance support is being provided by its engineering division, Cooper Handling Solutions.
Comprising six million sq ft of Grade A warehousing and already home to Amazon, Lidl and Fellowes, iPort incorporates a 35-acre rail freight intermodal terminal connected to the existing UK rail network. This represents the UK’s first dedicated rail freight terminal in over 10 years.
Commenting on the deal, iPort’s Managing Director Steve Freeman said: “As part of this process we visited several installations where Cooper has supplied and maintains SANY equipment and the uptime requirements are equally as critical as those we envisage.
“We were able to appreciate the productivity improvements the brand is capable of delivering and overall the SANY/Cooper package adds up to a highly cost-effective handling solution that is an ideal fit for iPort.”
Deployed primarily for the handling of laden and unladen containers and also used to service road traffic on a 24-hour basis, the new SANY machines feature a number of Value extras. Options included as standard incorporate a hydraulic sliding cabin for improved visibility and ease of maintenance as well as climate control air conditioning for enhanced driver comfort.
To help retain their good looks the reachstackers are finished with a paint thickness of 250 microns – more typically associated with equipment that is expected to spend 25 years in marine environments – and feature iPort’s own corporate livery.
“We’re delighted to be providing iPort with a bespoke handling and maintenance solution that meets the needs of a start-up operation at this stage,” said Cooper SpecialisedHandling’s Sales Director Chris Barnes.
“Working closely with the SANY factory in Germany and its dedicated custom paint facility we were able to achieve delivery in just 12 weeks from the date of the order. Although it was possible for iPort to source stock units from other manufacturers on a reasonable lead time, none could match SANY in fulfilling its corporate image requirements.”
iPort’s unique rail design and positioning delivers much needed capacity to the UK’s railfreight industry, providing quick and efficient logistics connectivity to all parts of the country and facilitating direct access to important European markets.
