Bennie Equipment had a triumphant evening at the UK Material Handling Association’s (UKMHA) annual awards ceremony on Saturday 15th October 2022 – The Archies.
In what proved to be a glittering showcase of the materials handling sector’s very best businesses, Bennie Equipment won ‘UKMHA Dealer of the Year’ & their Workshop Manager Graham Hanson won a ‘Services to the industry’ award at the first UKMHA awards under the ‘new’ name Archies.
Scoping two highly coveted awards at the inaugural Archies event is an absolute honour for the business and testament to the success of Bennie Equipment’s (BE) highly skilled team in making Bennie the respected organisation that it is. The hand-cast Archie statuette, a symbol of distinction, was modelled on Archimedes – the father of engineering, a fitting tribute to the much sort after accolade.
The UKMHA jury was impressed by Bennie Equipment’s commitment to going above and beyond on behalf of its customers with staff development, employee welfare, community engagement and charity initiatives also high on its agenda. These key elements are what makes a dealer truly great and loved within their market, areas that BE value as a business mantra and action each and every day.
Simon Burton, Group Director of Bennie Equipment comments, ‘I would like to say a huge thank you to all the team at Bennie Equipment for their hard work, and support and commitment to not just our valued customers, but also the wider community; from our Mental Health First Aiders, to those who helped support ‘Northamptonshire Help for Ukraine / Pomoc dla Ukrainy – Допомога Україн‘, the judges took note of the support made to our community.’
Matthew Ayres (Group MD) & Simon Burton (Group Director) collected the award on stage from host Mark Durden-Smith and sponsors IBCS Industrial Battery and Charger Services.
Workshop Manager Graham Hanson (A.K.A. ‘Brill’ – a long standing work nick name because he is simply ‘brilliant’) won the ‘Services to the industry’ award in recognition of his years of service to the business; spanning over four decades. Many engineers working in the sector today will have benefitted from his expert technical knowledge and support. In the words of his colleagues: “what he doesn’t know about forklifts isn’t worth knowing.”
Matthew Ayres comments, ‘I am very proud of my team for their fantastic achievement and recognition, especially Graham who has loyally served the business longer than I have been alive – this deserves an entirely separate award in itself. On behalf of Bennie, I would like to congratulate all the winners and extend a huge thank you to our sponsors for making the event possible. We will continue to deliver an exceptional service to our customers and wider community and look forward to taking part in 2023’s industry awards.’
Bennie Equipment would like to join the entire MHA community in congratulating all the well-deserved Archie’s winners this year. It was undoubtedly a night to remember with host Mark Durden-Smith delivering a dazzling performance ranging from the dignified to the downright hilarious. Here’s to next year!
About UKMHA Archies Awards
The UKMHA Archies Awards is hosted by the UKMHA, a not-for-profit organisation the represents all aspects of the UK’s material handling industry, from manufacturers, suppliers and dealers to other stake holders.
The Archies awards pay tribute to the companies, teams and individuals who work tirelessly to innovate, raise standards, and help operators work more effectively and safely. The awards are a symbol of distinction within the materials handling sector, a converted prize and a noteworthy accolade that the BE team are incredibly humbled to have received.
