Summary
¦ Valmar started trading in 1992.
¦ It developed its own vehicle in conjunction with SSP Sideloaders.
¦ It set up Valmar Sideloaders in 2009.
¦ The Rhino is available in eight different capacities, from five to 18 tonnes.

The first of Valmar’s in-house designed and built hydrostatic sideloader may have only recently rolled off the production line at its factory in Batley, West Yorkshire, but the company has already secured some very encouraging orders.

No doubt this “early” success is a result of the company’s standing as a sideloader specialist because while the truck itself – the “Rhino” – may be new, the company has been building an enviable reputation since the early 90s.

The Lanarkshire-based company started trading in 1992, distributing and maintaining fork lifts and sideloaders throughout Scotland. Kalmar and Boss trucks were early product mainstays of the business but, following changes in branding and products, Valmar decided to specialise in sideloader distribution and maintenance across the UK.

Expansion

It acquired Kalmar’s UK sideloader business and then, in 2000, also became the exclusive UK distributor of the Austrian-manufactured Jumbo sideloader, selling in excess of 250 of them.

Appetite suitably whetted, last year Valmar began to develop its own sideloader following its acquisition of SSP Sideloaders, which had in-house design and manufacturing expertise, complete with ISO 9001:2008 accreditation.

SSP had been building sideloaders since 1984, shipping them worldwide. During its history it had built specialist trucks for the Ministry of Defence, and included flameproof trucks in its portfolio, along with right-hand drive, gas, electric and multi-directional models.

“Many of our customers had been asking when we would produce our own brand of sideloader as they sensed it was the obvious next step given our specialist sideloader product knowledge and strong customer relationships,” said business development manager Clare Park.

“We’d worked with SSP for a number of years on truck rectification and refurbishment, so the natural progression was for us to bring the SSP organisation under the Valmar umbrella and move into production,” she added.

Valmar set up a new subsidiary company – Valmar Sideloaders Ltd – taking on the manufacture from SSP’s Batley factory and retaining all key SSP employees in the process.

The result is the aforementioned Rhino – so named thanks to its robust build. The truck is available in eight capacities, from five to 18 tonnes. It can be customised with fork positioners, spreader beams, tilting carriages and so on and it has been designed to be highly durable and easy to service, keeping operational downtime to a minimum.

Quality control

Quality assurance is at the forefront of the operation, as quality manager Malcolm Armitage explained. “Our production facility is assessed to ISO 9001:2008 by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance and in the foreseeable future we expect that new and existing customers will demand this as the baseline standard for quality and that for some it will become part of the contractual agreement,” he said. “The registered scope for the quality management system covers design, manufacture and servicing of sideloaders plus the supply of the associated spare parts.”

The Rhino is targeted at the timber and steel sectors and has been on demonstration with several leading companies, which is now translating into orders.

BSW Timber has ordered a new Valmar VS60-12-45 6-tonne diesel Rhino for its Fort William sawmill. “We’ve worked with Valmar for 20-plus years,” said BSW’s group operations manager Scott Shiells. “Its new sideloaders are strong, stable and robust and will help us improve our operational efficiency.”

“We worked very closely with BSW on the build and subsequent demonstrations of the new truck to ensure it received the best possible specification for its requirements,” said Ms Park. “Although we’ve been supplying BSW’s sideloaders for a number of years, we are continually reviewing the site’s operations to give the optimum specification and site support, and to modify and upgrade the additional features required to benefit the driver and add value for the customer.

“With SSP’s long manufacturing pedigree and Valmar’s sales and marketing expertise, we believe we can offer a unique solution from a specialist sideloader company,” she added.