Operating from the Black Country, the company remains the UK’s last mass manufacturer of articulated warehouse trucks. Their Flexi range continues to evolve, backed by £1.5m in annual R&D investment and more than 13,500 units delivered to over 70 countries.
For Eric Holt, Head of Operations, efficient storage and asset management are central to keeping production moving. Protecting new chassis, improving stock rotation, and ensuring traceability across the site all rely on having the right infrastructure in place.
That’s where Renthall UK comes in.
Two rental structures, a 12m x 30m green‑clad shelter and a 12m x 45m blue‑clad shelter, both with 3m legs and modular bay expansions, have now been on hire for two years.
This has changed our life, having this extra storage space. It’s changed our business quite significantly.
Head of Operations, Narrow Aisle
Eric Holt
Holt is clear about the impact the structures have had on day‑to‑day operations. Before they were installed, chassis storage was a constant challenge.
“If it weren’t for this structure, all of these would be next door,” he explains, gesturing across the organised rows. “You can’t store a new chassis outside.”
With the new covered space, the team can now locate and access stock with ease.
“I can look on the system, pick out a chassis number, and it’ll tell me row 13, number 3. I’ll walk to it and touch it within 30 seconds.”
The efficient layout works hand‑in‑hand with the company’s product philosophy. “Because this is articulated, you can get 30% more in a warehouse by having narrower aisles. Hence the name of the business, Narrow Aisle.” Depending on the model, each structure can house between 58 and 65 Flexi trucks.
Temporary mini‑tents were previously used, but those came with limitations.
“In a tent, these have to be stored lying down. It’s not ideal.” The Renthall solution, he says, has “improved our quality, as well as our stock rotation and stock location.”
As Narrow Aisle’s own rental operation continues to expand, the need for efficient storage has only grown. The second building now supports their hire fleet.
“We’ve got a delivery this week of 16 new chassis,” Holt says. “But we’re building eight trucks a week, so we’ll go through those quite quickly.”
Most rental agreements sit between three and six months, though some last as little as three days or as long as two years. The flexibility of the structures helps the team manage this rapid turnover.
The biggest transformation is how these assets are now valued and managed.
Before the shelters went up, Holt explains, the rental yard resembled “a scrap yard… old trucks that were so old they just became part of the furniture.” Exposed to the elements and overlooked, many units lost any recoverable value.
Now, the covered space means every truck has a purpose.
“Because we’re more organised, we get value out of every truck. We know it can either be refurbished for sale, refurbished for the hire fleet, or scrapped.”
With maintenance taking place under cover, refurbishment costs have also decreased. “It saves us money all ways up,” he adds.
The installation process left a strong impression on the Narrow Aisle team. Holt recalls a moment during setup when the company wasn’t quite ready for the install crew.
“They came on site one day and we weren’t ready for them. He said, ‘We’ll just go back to the hotel. We’ll see you tomorrow.’ No issue.”
That positive experience influenced future decisions. “That meant a lot to us. Hence we went for the second building as well. And now we want a third building.”
For Renthall UK Managing Director Andrew Knox, the partnership has been equally valued. “From the first phone call, everything seemed to go almost too good to be true,” he says.
As the company continues to innovate in the VNA market, the ability to protect and manage its growing fleet remains essential. With scalable, weather‑resistant storage now in place, Narrow Aisle is well positioned to support future growth and continue delivering industry‑leading warehouse solutions.
You need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from reCAPTCHA. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from reCAPTCHA. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information