With Zimbabwe-based food producer Cairns Foods having increased its capacity in the hope of reaching 80% capacity use by 2018, materials handling equipment supplier Smith Power Equipment (SPE) has supplied four Kipor KDF 25 diesel forklifts to the company.

Being a sole distributor of KDF Kipor equipment in Southern Africa, SPE says the forklifts are valued at just under R1-million.

SPE explains that, despite the challenging trading environment in its native Zimbabwe, Cairns Foods’ strategy to improve business conditions has also seen increased activity at the company’s distribution centres, where any form of downtime is out of the question.

SPE Kipor Forklifts dealer sales manager Sunee Heyns explains that, with its three-stage container mast and a 4.5 m lift height, complemented by side shift capabilities and a rated load weight of 2 500 kg, the KDF 25 forklift fitted the bill for the truck loading and offloading duties in question.

“In its quest to maximise materials handling uptime at its busy distribution centres, Cairns Foods turned to SPE for four Kipor KDF 25 diesel forklifts; the KDF 25 was a perfect fit for the task at hand,” she says.

She says that Kipor understands that a comfortable operator is a productive one. Thus, the KDF 25 is fitted with a suspended and movable seat, together with a steering column tilt angle that can be adjusted freely, which helps during extended working hours.

With safety in mind, the KDF 25 also comes with a hoist cylinder at the rear of its mast, widening the operation view. She points out that the rear lamps are installed on the unit’s top cover to further ensure safety.

Heyns adds that the deal hinged on several factors, ranging from product reliability and competitive pricing to service and parts support. SPE ticked all the boxes with the Kipor forklift range, which has proved itself in the local market, bolstered by the local equipment supplier’s strong aftermarket capabilities.

“Kipor is a cost-effective forklift solution for companies seeking a reliable, yet competitively priced, product, especially considering the tight budgets often allocated for materials handling. Apart from the reliability of our Kipor product range and its competitive pricing, superior service and support were also key in Cairns Foods’ decision to opt for SPE as its preferred forklift supplier,” Heyns points out.

Listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange’s industrial index, Cairns Foods is a major producer of a variety of groceries and wines. Cairns Foods is also a manufacturing giant in the agroprocessing industry, with Cashel Valley tinned baked beans being its flagship product.