LIFTRUCKS AND EP – MAKING LITHIUM-ION AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE
‘Let’s grow together’ is the marketing catchphrase for EP Equipment NZ’s range of pallet jacks, stackers, order pickers, reach trucks and forklifts. But it’s far more than marketing… since Liftrucks NZ purchased the EP dealership in late 2021, sales and the brand in New Zealand have grown significantly. Many brands now offer lithium-ion technology, Liftrucks tells FTD Magazine, but key is the company’s competitive pricing that has been brought about through being “one of the first to make headway into the li-ion space”. Liftrucks is no doubt an early adopter, and the company is dedicated to a technology that is not only good for the environment but more efficient for business. The explosion in online ordering and rise of huge distribution centres (DCs) and larger warehouses has the EP brand flying high, simultaneously providing climate crisis and cost-effective materials handling solutions.
James Ashby, EP Equipment NZ national manager for Liftrucks NZ, is a passionate advocate for EP’s electric pallet jacks, stackers, order pickers and reach trucks. He recently took over Liftrucks’ operations for EP, for which the company has sole New Zealand importing and distribution rights.
Liftrucks is a family-owned firm, based in Auckland’s Onehunga. Its parent company, Camson Hoist Hire, was established by Blair Robson in the 1970s to cater for forklift rentals, and the sale of new and used machines. Significant growth over time eventually led to the business being ranked number four in forklift sales in New Zealand and Liftrucks was formed to grow that market further. Today, Paul Robson, son of Blair, heads the team.
Robson, who has degrees in engineering and computer science, cut his teeth in the industry more than 20 years ago, working for his father. He is currently one of the leading materials-handling specialists in this country. It is one of his jobs to make sure that, nationwide, Liftrucks service technicians are well-placed to look after the company’s full range of equipment. The result is faster and more professional servicing.
EP is relatively new to Liftrucks, which started bringing the brand onshore two years ago. Ashby describes the machinery as world-leading in sustainable and highly price-effective materials-handling equipment. That’s due to its in-house-developed lithium-ion battery technology and manufacturing model, he says. Further, 90% of the manufacturing process – from product design and production to after-sales service for materials-handling equipment users worldwide – is taken care of in-house. The result is a wide range of products created to cater for the individual needs of EP’s customers, from occasional operations to multi-shift applications in warehouse or distribution centres operating at high frequency levels.
The company’s machines were initially targeted at the SME sector, where they proved extremely popular.
“EP’s pallet jacks are a best-seller for logistics and transport operations, including some of this country’s largest freight companies,” Ashby says. “The stackers are an economical answer for the SME market, and EP’s order pickers are the most popular in that New Zealand sector. We continue to enjoy great success right across manufacturing, distribution and retail with these machines.
“So, EP has been in SME warehousing for many years, meaning it now offers a broad spectrum of products suited for almost all storage and handling purposes,” Ashby says.
He says that, in particular, EP’s electric pallet jacks have been walking out the door since Ashby started with Liftrucks.
“A lot of tail-lift operations are going that way,” he explains. “We must have sold more than 100 of these machines in our first year of distributing them. They’re seriously popular, and the market continues to grow.”
Another key focus for Ashby is order pickers.
“We’ve seen huge growth in this market for EP in New Zealand, which I think has been driven by clients needing to pack more product into their warehousing,” he says. “This means they’re going for greater shelf heights and narrower aisles. Our EP order pickers enable customers to pick fast-moving products, rather than having to bring down whole pallets, retrieve one or two cartons and then put the rest back. Hardware chains love it, because it’s just so efficient.”
However, the company has now taken its offering to a different level, with a new range of products released in late 2022, designed to furnish the market with a high-performance range of equipment aimed at larger operations. These machines are designed to suit big-scale companies, running longer hours, and in tougher environments.
“For those with more intensive demands, our high-performance range of forklifts and reach trucks are tailor-made for larger companies looking for multiple machines designed to work 24/7,” says Ashby. “These product releases had exceptional reviews in Europe and the UK in Q4 2022, and we’re looking forward to the first shipments arriving in NZ in Q2 2023.”
These upper edge lithium-ion models include the new EFL 3 Series, CPD45-50F8 models, the industry-leading 7 and 10T lithium-ion forklifts, and the CQD16-20L reach trucks.
“All componentry – the drive and lifting motors, for example – have been designed to a high spec, offering fast and reliable operation, even in tough environments. The suspension in the seats means they’re really comfortable for operators, while the on-board LCD screens and built-in fleet management systems make it easy to monitor battery life, driving speed and operation hours.”
EP was founded in 2007 in Hangzhou, China. Over the last two-and-a-bit decades, it has become a leading international manufacturer of lithium-ion powered warehouse equipment, with more than 250,000sqm of production plant facilities in both China and the USA. It has a distribution reach of more than 126 countries worldwide, which between them consume more than a quarter of a million units per annum. That success is based on a worldwide reputation for quality and innovation in the materials-handling industry, recognised by hundreds of patents awarded to the company in China, the US and Europe, along with a number of product and design awards.
As Ashby says, many brands now offer lithium-ion technology, but as one of the first companies to make headway in that space, EP is a leader in the field. Also, as EP manufactures the equipment and batteries itself, there are fewer suppliers to clip the ticket, which means the firm can offer cost-competitive solutions for its clients.
What about the batteries though? Ashby says the popular EPL1531 lithium-ion electric pallet jack battery runs for four hours, is easy to change out, and will recharge in an hour from a run-of-the-mill wall plug, so there’s no need for three-phase power installation.
“At the moment, most batteries are recycled overseas, but we are currently working with a local business to bring that onshore,” he says.