Global supply chain delays have been present in the news for the past couple of years, with unprecedented events including the blockage of the Suez canal, the shortest route between Asia and Europe, the effect of Brexit on boarder procedures, and the Covid-19 pandemic all creating delays in the supply chain which are still present today.
Furthermore, changing consumer habits have played a part in the supply chain delays, with the Covid-19 pandemic encouraging an increase in the purchasing of goods over services, space on cargo ships has become incredibly limited. The unprecedented events of the past 24 months have highlighted the fragility of global supply chains; from the railways, road transportation, shipping channels, and warehousing.
Delays in the supply chain coupled with a shortage of certain critical machine parts have resulted in a longer than expected turnaround for a number of Nicholson’s machines. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to advise our valued customers to place any upcoming orders for harvesting and processing equipment as soon as possible, to ensure that these delays do not jeopardise your crops and orders can be met in time for harvest.
As a leader in harvesting equipment, Nicholson understands the importance of the time sensitive farming industry and we are working diligently to provide the most efficient turnaround time whilst maintaining the high-quality standards our reputation is built on.
Clare Nicholson, Head of Finance at Nicholson Machinery, has stated:
“We are experiencing a delay in turnaround time due to a shortage of certain parts. The parts that would normally take 4-6 weeks for delivery are now taking anywhere up to 6 months to get hold of. Prior to Covid, where we knew which parts took the longest to get in, we would carry stock, but that stock is now depleted. The knock-on effect of multiple national and international lockdowns has slowed the supply chain and we are now doing everything we can to deal with this to ensure that we can maintain operations and meet our customer needs and satisfaction.
Luckily, at this point we have mainly finishing equipment pending dispatch so the crop will already be harvested and can be stored prior to finishing but that delay doesn’t help the supermarkets and could potentially lead to a shortage of product on the supermarket shelves.”
At this time, we ask that our customers place orders as early as possible to avoid disappoint. Our team is on hand to discuss your requirements and manage expectations in regards to turnaround time on all harvesting and processing equipment.