When Dawsongroup material handling acquired its 5000th truck, it celebrated the milestone by pledging to donate a percentage of its rental income to charity. The unique truck has just come back from its first year on hire and has already gone out to a new customer for another twelve months. The special truck, a Combilift C4000ET, has been liveried with the logo and contact details of the chosen charity: Ben, the Automotive Industry Charity. Ben is one of Dawsongroup’s partner charities through Open Hands, our Corporate Social Responsibility program, and it was the logical choice to benefit from this fantastic idea.
Adding Value to a Worthy Cause
The N5000 was first hired out to Fork Truck Direct (FTD) for their customer Colorminium, which needed a truck to fulfil their requirements as they had a long lead time on a new forklift. Amy Edwards, Dealer Relationship Manager for Dawsongroup material handling, worked with Dave Brown, Regional Sales Manager for FTD, to find the right solution for Colorminium, and the Ben charity Combilift was the perfect fit.
“My first introduction to Ben was through Dawsongroup,” said Dave. “My colleagues and I had never heard of it before, but now I look at their website regularly. It’s great to be able to add value to such a worthy cause through what would ordinarily be the normal hire of a Combilift, and it’s brilliant to get more coverage in our industry.”
Fulfilling Customer Needs
When the Ben charity truck was off hired, it was washed, serviced, and given a thorough examination to make it ready for its next hire. A little paint tidying was also carried out on the main areas that get worn from carrying loads to ensure the truck looked good when it went back out.
Once it was ready to go, Amy Edwards, Dealer Relationship Manager for Dawsongroup material handling, started working to find it a new home. Louise Tremaine, Area Sales Manager for Bennie Equipment, had contacted Amy about a short-term hire for her customer, and the Ben charity truck was exactly what they needed.
“When we found out the new truck we were getting not only fulfilled our needs, but would also be raising money for Ben, the Automotive Industry Charity, we were really pleased,” said Louise.
“I’m delighted that the Ben Combilift has gone out for a second twelve-month hire,” said Amy. “This is exactly what we want as it means a sustained income for the charity. We’re also thrilled to support another new customer.”
Making a Life-Changing Difference
Over the course of its first year of hire, the donation from the rental income totalled £2,135.77, which was presented by Amy and Dave to Sarah Hughes, Head of Automotive Industry Partnerships, Health and Wellbeing for Ben.
“It felt good to be involved with this from the very beginning,” said Dave. “The money raised from the simple hire of a forklift truck is just amazing, so a huge thank you for allowing us to play a small part in this one!”
“We are extremely grateful to Dawsongroup for their recent fundraising effort,” said Sarah. “Raising over £2,000 is incredible! Together with companies in the industry, we can support people in our industry when they face life’s toughest challenges. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of companies like Dawsongroup; they make a life-changing difference. Thank you to everyone involved in this fantastic initiative.”
