Having outgrown its previous facility in Alrode South, in Gauteng, it was imperative that materials handling equipment provider A Square Forklift move to a larger, more cohesively structured facility.

“To ensure that we had sufficient room for growth over the next ten years, we designed a building of 9 000 m2 on an 18 000 m2 site in the new S&J Industrial Estate adjacent to the N3 highway in Germiston. Not only was the location centrally located with good highway access; it was close enough to our previous premises so as not to unduly disrupt staff travel times,” notes A Square Forklift MD Craig Bradford.

He adds that, with a single structure, the company was able to organise its various new facilities into a logical flow to help optimise efficiency and control. “We incorporated two 6-m-high spray booths with a dedicated prep area, two 10-m inspection pits, a machine shop, new machine warehouse, parts warehouse, a clean component assembly facility and ample, spacious workshop bays.”

The new site also boasts spacious staff ablution and changeroom facilities, a training room, a canteen and three “pause areas” within the main office complex.

The company’s on-site showroom, meanwhile, helps ensure a “superior customer experience”, allowing existing and prospective customers to view and test new products, with the nearby entertainment area adding to the overall appeal.

“Short term, we have saddled an expensive horse, and the new premises and associated costs will be a burden, but we have no doubt that the efficiencies extracted from this will more than compensate, as the improved customer experience will lead to solid client retention and growth,” Bradford affirms.

Founded in 1998, A Square has become one of the country’s leading forklift rental operations. In 2006, it became the exclusive distributor in South Africa for Japanese electric forklift company Nichiyu and has added complementary brands over the years.

These brands and products include Irish load-handling solutions provider Combilift’s Aisle Master specialised handling equipment, Italian handling equipment provider Bravi Platforms’ medium level order pickers, and Italian industrial floor cleaning equipment provider RCM.

With its acquisition by JSE-listed diversified services provider Bidvest in 2022, A Square Forklift – now a division of Bidvest Commercial Products – entered a new era bolstered by Bidvest’s vast resources and a foundation characterised by consistency and business continuity, with Bradford – the company’s founder – continuing to lead its operations.

“A Square was founded on the values of customer service delivery above all else. The acquisition by Bidvest has added further momentum and resources to improve upon this promise. As a front runner in the forklift rental market, A Square is well positioned to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise.”

Industry Outlook

The materials handling sector is “by no means buoyant”, says Bradford, adding that the country’s economic situation has resulted in capital expenditure procurement becoming “significantly more circumspect as customers sweat assets well beyond their economic life”.

He explains that, while there have been “huge warehouse boxes springing up all over”, this does not signify growth, but a shift in the economic landscape.

“These warehouses are predominantly to house a myriad of imported products,” he states, adding that local manufacturing and production remain severely depressed. He adds that the growth in e-commerce is just an extension of this reality, as most products in this space are imported.

However, while the South African economy remains cause for concern, there are still pockets of productivity and opportunities for growth, and Bradford suggests that businesses can still seek a competitive advantage by partnering with the right solutions providers.

He notes that, as with many other products, forklift manufacturers and suppliers are looking to a future underpinned by a continual balancing act between increased productivity and sustainability concerns, which is why they are looking to enhance technological and digital integration, while reducing their carbon footprint.

“There are many products being imported from the Far East which pay little cognisance to the risks associated with carbon emissions. For this reason, A Square has electric forklifts as its primary focus, augmented by diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) forklifts sourced with Level 4 emissions standards or better.”

He notes that lithium-ion-powered electric forklifts have been an “absolute gamechanger”, as these machines can compete with traditional internal combustion engines in terms of shift life in most all applications. “Against LPG-powered units in particular, once one accounts for the steep cost of LPG fuel, a life-cycle cost comparison always puts an electric forklift way ahead of the savings curve.”

Moreover, there are significant developments in terms of operator and pedestrian safety, primarily through the leveraging of AI systems and the use of automated materials handling products.

“This is a key focal area for A Square to add real value to clients by bringing cutting-edge products to market. A Square has forged a new partnership with a leading European intralogistics manufacturer which is set to revolutionise the way in which products are handled. It is revolutionary in terms of technology, safety and the environment. There is 'STILL' much more to follow on this front.”