Peterborough manufacturer is reaching for new heights as firm turns 40

A leading manufacturer of lifting equipment has marked its 40th anniversary with a celebration at its new factory in Peterborough.
Advanced Handling's Steve Boyle (direct sales manager), Aman Ashraf, design engineer, Lee Colegate, technical manager), Dani Sharman (purchasing) and James Harris (accounts manager)Advanced Handling's Steve Boyle (direct sales manager), Aman Ashraf, design engineer, Lee Colegate, technical manager), Dani Sharman (purchasing) and James Harris (accounts manager)
Advanced Handling's Steve Boyle (direct sales manager), Aman Ashraf, design engineer, Lee Colegate, technical manager), Dani Sharman (purchasing) and James Harris (accounts manager)

Advanced Handling threw open the doors of its new 5,000 square metres factory and offices in Newcombe Way, Orton Southgate, to scores of guests.

Managing director Mike Prince told them: “We thought it would be difficult to fill all this space but we have filled it up quite well.

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He said: “This relocation was a massive tick in the box from our parent company for what we have achieved over the last 40 years.”

Advanced Handling's Steve Boyle (direct sales manager), Aman Ashraf, design engineer, Lee Colegate, technical manager), Dani Sharman (purchasing) and James Harris (accounts manager)Advanced Handling's Steve Boyle (direct sales manager), Aman Ashraf, design engineer, Lee Colegate, technical manager), Dani Sharman (purchasing) and James Harris (accounts manager)
Advanced Handling's Steve Boyle (direct sales manager), Aman Ashraf, design engineer, Lee Colegate, technical manager), Dani Sharman (purchasing) and James Harris (accounts manager)

The relocation was the result of a six million Euros investment by its parent company Sunnex, of Sweden.

The factory eaves are 12 metres high and the site features a showroom where customers can try out its innovative lifting equipment.

Advanced Handling, which manufacturers and supplies a range of lifting and handling equipment, had been based in Market Deeping for 35 years but its continued growth meant the company needed larger and taller premises.

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Mr Prince said: “There was no room for expansion at out previous premises. We had outgrown the site and we needed more height for all the products we were making.

Mike Prince, managing director, Advanced Handling.Mike Prince, managing director, Advanced Handling.
Mike Prince, managing director, Advanced Handling.

“We aim to be the leading manufacturer of bespoke lifting solutions.”

The firm, founded in 1978 by entrepreneur Tony Harding and specialising in pallet trucks, is now owned by a Swedish entrepreneur, and can boast a glittering list of top rank customers from Tesco, Weetabix and Coca Cola to Rolls Royce and British Aerospace.There was even a one-off contract that sales director Rebecca Dilloway-Jones said was unlikely to be repeated but that had involved the entire business.

She said: “A Bedford company had created a wind gust tunnel, something even NASA had failed to achieve, to test aircraft wings. But it had overlooked how it was going to get the wings into the tunnel so it called on us.

“It was a tight timetable of three months and not easy but we provided a bespoke trolley to lift the wings into the tunnel.”

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