England 14/09/2013 – In a trading environment where every penny counts flexible leases for heavy handling equipment are extremely important.
In the past, if a UK firm asked their forklift supplier for a short-term, or flexible contract the chances where the answer would have been, ‘sorry, but no’. Today, the answer is far more likely be yes. Firms like http://www.bs-forklifts.co.uk/ now offer a far more flexible service than they once did. They are doing so in response to an increasing demand for this kind of service from their customers.
In order to compete on a global stage UK firms need to be able to move fast. When an opportunity for a large one-off contract becomes available, they need to be able to bid for that job quickly and to be able to quote a competitive price. To do so firms need to know they can lease warehouse or production space quickly, at a good price and do the same for any heavy lifting and handling equipment they may need. In many cases, the order will only take a year or two or maybe only a few months to process and fulfil. Therefore, UK firms need to be able to lease both warehouse space and equipment on short-term leases. They simply cannot afford to sign long-term contracts only to have equipment sitting around unused for weeks or months at a time while they secure the next job.
Those heavy equipment firms that have realised that offering short-term, as well as long-term, leases is the way forward are the ones that have grown and prospered despite the recession. Other leasing firms who have been less have found themselves with a shrinking customer base.
The need for new equipment
Heavy lifting equipment providers have also had to respond quickly to the changing way in which UK firms use their warehouses. These days more firms are realising the importance of making better use of the cube. Many are re-fitting their warehouses with higher racking, which has increased demand for high or long reach equipment. Those forklift firms that can source a wide range of equipment to meet their clients evolving needs are the ones that are experiencing growth, and are likely to continue to do so into the future.
