‘Made in Britain’ Lift truck Serves Up a Treat For Fish Supplier

Lowestoft-based Nexen Lift Trucks –designer, manufacturer and supplier of forklift trucks and warehouse equipment – has supplied a 3-wheel electric X-Range lift truck to Three Oceans, a privately-owned business that, founded by Tim Rose in 1992, recognised a niche in the industry for the supply of high quality white-fish, primarily to the foodservice sector.

With application advice and support from Nexen’s Yorkshire-based dealer MH Group, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of forklifts and materials handling systems, Nexen was able to meet the requirements of Three Oceans with its new electric-powered Nexen FBXT 18 counterbalance forklift, which was supplied with additional weatherproofing and IP protection to ensure it could make trips between the customer’s two processing facilities in Hull.

The three-wheel FBXT and four-wheel FBX counterbalanced electric forklifts are Nexen’s latest additions to its range and offer lifting capacities from 1,600 to 2,000kg. Both models are available in long- and short-wheel-base formats, providing a productive and energy-efficient solution for numerous indoor/outdoor lifting applications.

To cope with the narrow aisle environment of their facilities and ensure zero emissions, a three-wheel electric lift truck was essential for Three Oceans’ food processing environment. So too was weatherproofing and IP protecting of any new vehicle, as the company had been faced with substantial maintenance bills for its previous electric forklifts. Additionally, the lift truck needed good ground clearance to cope with the steep cambers and kerb stones the vehicle would encounter on its many daily trips.

Commenting for MH Group, Andy Tuffnell says: “Working with Nexen to meet the customer’s requirements was a breath of fresh air, with the company going above and beyond what was required to ensure that cable connectors, wiring looms, motors and motor controllers were all protected from the weather and operating environments.”


He goes on to explain that, where possible, his company tries to source locally and, being a privately-owned British brand with a range of lift trucks that are manufactured in the UK, Nexen Lift Trucks is a supplier of preference for MH Group and its many customers.

And when advice or additional services are required – such as the weatherproofing for the Three Oceans FBXT 18 – Andy knows he can pick up the phone and speak directly with Nexen’s directors, or those that have played an essential role in the design and development of its material handling vehicles. “Because Nexen is hands-on with the manufacturing and production, they understand what I want and know how to supply it!” says Andy.

Commenting for Nexen Lift Trucks, sales director Pamela Oakes says: “With many manufacturers outsourcing design and build to third parties in China, India and Eastern Europe, Nexen is proud to offer a range of vehicles that can be truly designated as ‘Made in Britain’, with the research, design, development and production of our electric X-Range lift trucks being undertaken at the European headquarters in Lowestoft, rather than those the company owns in Taiwan.”

The FBXT is the latest in Nexen’s line-up of counterbalanced forklift trucks and adds to an ever-increasing portfolio of X-Range models that also incorporates diesel- and LPG-powered vehicles, with lifting capacities up to 5,000kg. All models are built to the highest exacting standards using premium quality components which, combined with Nexen’s signature X-Range fully-floating cabin design, provides exceptional operator comfort and superior ergonomics that dramatically reduces driver fatigue.

X-Range electric forklifts also feature regenerative braking to enhance battery life and improve energy efficiency; and an automatic parking brake ensures no adjustments are required, which reduces equipment maintenance requirements.