Double winners Combilift led an impressive field of
champions, as the Fork Lift Truck Association presented its
18th annual Awards for Excellence at an Olympic-themed
ceremony attended by athletics legend Sally Gunnell OBE

Since 1995, the FLTA Awards has
served as a ‘Pick of the Year’ for
materials handling products and
services, rewarding those who strive to raise
standards throughout the fork lift truck
industry.

Presenting this year’s Awards, Sally
Gunnell was aided by Association chairman
Martyn Fletcher, as well as representatives
from sponsors B&B Attachments, BNP
Paribas, Doosan Industrial Vehicle, Hitachi
Capital, Interfit, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks,
Powercell and Yale Materials Handling.

The audience roared in approval as
innovative Irish manufacturer Combilift
collected the coveted ‘Victor Ludorum’
award – a gold-plated ‘Archie’ statuette
created to mark the Association’s 40th year.

The hallmarked trophy, presented for the
pioneering 2008 Combi-CB multidirectional
truck, marked Combilift’s second
success of the evening as its Combi-RT had
already scooped the Award for Innovation.

Other winners included Linde’s 394
displacement pump – Environment, Ravas
M-Forks -Safety – and JCB’s Changezee
teletruk carriage – Ergonomics. Each
received a solid bronze statuette following an
open vote through the FLTA website.

Individual Awards were presented to
Daniel McKinnon of Global Materials
Handling – Apprentice of the Year, Clive
Mansfield of EnerSys – Employee of the Year,
and Jim Cameron of FB Chain, designer of
the FB chain wear gauge – Services to Industry.

McCain Foods was named ‘Safe Site’ for its
extensive use of Virtual Risk Manager to
assess operators and focus training, and WB
Powersource was named Supplier of the Year.

The show had been opened in dramatic
fashion with a white-knuckle display from
stunt cyclist Joe Oakley. After dinner Tina
Turner tribute ‘Kinisha’ heralded the winners
with ‘Simply The Best’ before a live band led
dancing until the small hours.

Martyn Fletcher, chairman of the FLTA,
comments: “Awards 2012 has been another
resounding success. This event continues to
celebrate all that is good in the materials
handling industry and, for more than 18
years, we have encouraged and acknowledged
the progress that has been made.

“While Combilift grabbed the headlines
this evening, each of our ‘Pick of the Year’
champions and finalists represents a
significant advance in ensuring materials are
moved more safely, more efficiently and with
less impact on the environment.”