We plant a tree for every truck we sell

10955

trees planted so far

Briggs Equipment support Smart Garden Products’ ongoing success with new machines

Briggs Equipment support Smart Garden Products’ ongoing success with new machines

Briggs Equipment support Smart Garden Products’ ongoing success with new machines

Smart Garden Products (SGP) is a leading supplier of garden products throughout the UK and Europe. From their substantial warehouse hub in Peterborough and Head Office location in Abingdon, they have built up a stellar reputation for designing some of the industry’s most innovative and popular products.

SITUATION

Across the UK, Coronavirus restrictions have created a surge in popularity for gardening and the general maintenance of outdoor spaces. Subsequently, garden centres experienced strong demand in 2020 and this is projected to continue throughout this year and beyond.

Briggs Equipment has worked with SGP since 2017 and following an initial order for 12 trucks of varying specialisms, the partnership between the two companies has gone from strength to strength.

The original business plan for SGP was to have full operational use of their warehouse within 7 Years, however due to organic growth and expansion into new categories, including Pet Products and Christmas, they have already achieved their goal 3 years ahead of schedule. Briggs has supported this development by supplying a diverse fleet of machines that have kept pace with SGPs requirements and helped ensure they’re always getting the most out of their warehouse.

SOLUTION

A key element of the collaborative approach between the two companies is the ongoing evaluation of equipment performance and whether there are any changes that could be implemented to improve output. This process is managed via the BE Portal fleet management solution, which allows SGP to accurately monitor the efficiency of their operations and whether extra equipment or modifications are required.

During the height of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, it was identified that additional support was required to supplement the existing fleet and meet the demand that was being experienced at the Peterborough site. The new equipment would be required to fit flawlessly into SGPs operations at their 250,000 square feet warehouse facility.

The warehouse manages handles over 85,000 pallets, storing products with a collective retail value of over £85 million and as such any new trucks would need to be capable of operating at high intensity and with extreme precision.

ACTION

Having worked with SGP over a number of years, Briggs were fully aware of the site environment and after discussing the requirements, a solution that included a combination of Hyster Low Level Order Pickers and an Aisle-Master was identified. The order pickers are specifically designed for use in time sensitive operations, whilst the Aisle-Master was chosen as it delivers unrivalled performance in a Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) warehouse environment.

RESULT

A proposal that included 5 new Hyster LLOPs and 1 new Aisle-Master was put forward and agreed in late 2020, with delivery completed in February 2021.

The new machines were successfully delivered and have gone straight into operation. Given the ease of use of the products and the familiarity that the on-site staff already has with similar equipment, the new trucks have fitted in seamlessly. Since 2017, Briggs has now supplied over 20 pieces of equipment to SGP, including forklifts, VNA machines, access equipment and warehouse products, and will continue to support their business.

Scroll to Top