In a ground-breaking development, materials handling supplier Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) has rolled out an industry first, standard five-year warranty on its construction equipment supplier Doosan 7 Series range of lift trucks.

The new offering is the longest ever warranty to be offered in the South African forklift industry.

GLTC sales director Patrick Barber says warranty is a valuable component of any capital equipment purchase, especially mission critical and big-ticket purchases such as lift trucks.

“It assures equipment users that their funds are being spent on a trustworthy product and the supplier is committed to the health of the equipment for the long haul.”

He adds that the pertinent reasoning behind the extended warranty is the fact that the initial capital investment on these machines is very high. Therefore, to retain the value of the product, the warranty is a significant component of the product life cycle.

While different lift trucks from different manufacturers may have different price tags, the length of warranties has largely remained the same for years, pegged at 12 months, which is an industry norm. GLTC’s new warranty is thus a game changer in the industry, driven by the company’s understanding that the longer and more comprehensive the warranty is, the lower the overall potential cost of ownership for owners.

“We have been supporting the Doosan product since 1994 and have come to trust the build quality of this Korean product. We have worked closely with our principal, Doosan, to develop a product that meets our local operating conditions and support it with a fitting warranty that gives customers the peace of mind they need, especially in these difficult operating conditions,” says Barber.

Barber also reasons that the extended warranty is a sign of service commitment from GLTC as the exclusive distributor of Doosan’s range of lift trucks in the Southern African market.

“The initiative is in the best interests of the end-user. A longer product warranty gives customers extra coverage for their mission-critical assets, along with a little more peace of mind. From a supplier’s point of view, it means that we want to be there for our customers, and be involved in their businesses with a vested interest,” explains Barber.

Further, the Doosan 7 Series forklift range is a product that ticks all the right boxes, from maximum productivity to cost-effective and safe operation across an array of applications – attributes that are high up on every warehouse or distribution centre manager’s checklist when evaluating and selecting materials handling equipment.

These features, coupled with a long warranty, mean that if services are done according to original-equipment manufacturer specifications and standards, the machines will definitely give owners a longer life span, while retaining the value of the investment, says Barber.

Apart from the warranty, another key development is that GLTC has just become the only importer of capital goods in South Africa to attain a Level 3 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) status, effective March.

Barber notes that this is a proud moment for the company, which speaks to its transformational attitude.

“For such a big organisation attaining a Level 3 B-BBEE status means that we have covered a lot of ground with regards to our transformational goals. We have done a lot when it comes to employment equity, enterprise development initiatives and corporate social investment, among other initiatives,” says Barber.

GLTC has also invested heavily in skills development. “Skills shortage has become one of the most common enemies to economic development, not only in South Africa, but across the globe.”

GLTC MD Darryl Shafto explains that it is a problem that hinders both business and economic growth. Therefore, forward-thinking businesses should play an active role in skills development, and GLTC has done a lot in that regard.