AJ SCOTT LINES UP NEW FORKLIFT FLEET TO RAISE CARBON CREDENTIALS
One of the UK’s leading independent sawmillers has upgraded its fleet of forklift trucks as it seeks to burnish the environmental benefits of its timber products by reducing the carbon footprint of its operations
Having installed a new array of solar panels on its Northumberland site to power mill production, A&J Scott has now completed an overhaul of its forklift truck fleet, bringing in a combination of 3.5 tonne and 5 tonne forklifts to carry out operations on site.
Supplied by Forklift Solutions, the Still RX60-35 and 50 trucks have proved a hit with the company’s operators, lifting and lowering in record time and moving quickly and smoothly around the 35-acre site. The trucks’ low energy consumption and ability to charge between shifts has also been popular.
This follows a decade in which the family-owned company has increased the size of its main site by 20 acres and invested over £25 million in new capital equipment, including a major upgrade to the main sawmill, construction of a new fully automated bandmill, installation of a new log sorting and grading line and a state of the art processing and handling line for re-saw operations. The recent installation of the solar panels on the site will save around 1500 tonnes of carbon per year.
The company is now well positioned for sustained growth in its main markets for fencing products, railway sleepers and other outdoor timbers in the years ahead, building on its record of delivering quality sawn timber products and high standards of customer service to its loyal base of customers across the UK. The company has also extended its product offer, adding NHSS4 highways standard fencing to its existing range.
Managing Director, Robert Scott, said, “Our excellent relationships with our customers give us the confidence to plan and invest for the future. Our timber products are inherently among the most sustainable products available, and it is exciting to match that sustainability in the operations on our site. We are laying the foundations to continue the company’s success well into the future.”
