System puts Acorn Mobility on the Fast Track to success

One Yorkshire company is aiming to eradicate the problem for its customers around the world – albeit in quite a niche market.

“Let’s face it, nobody grows up with the ambition of owning a stairlift,” said Dave Belmont, company secretary at Acorn Mobility Services.

“But they can become an essential aid to everyday living for many people. The problem is that when someone decides they need one, they want it installed as quickly as possible.”

Traditionally, this has been a time-consuming process involving an initial recce, a technical surveyor’s visit to measure up and then a return trip with the drawings before they’re passed to a CAD team for design. Then of course there’s the fitting to arrange. All in all, it takes a good few weeks.

Even with modular technology, the CAD office would design the rail and then send the necessary pieces to the customer’s premises for installation.

Not any more. Now, there’s Fast Track.

“John Jakes, who owns Acorn Stairlifts, looked at the modular system in a new way,” explained Mr Belmont.

“Instead of going through all the different steps, why couldn’t we take an order and send a van to their home containing a large stock of all the different rail pieces and just build it from scratch?

“That way, we can install non-standard stairlifts within hours of getting an order. The fitter has everything he needs in his van to build a bespoke stairlift – with no delays.”

Fast Track is a bit like putting together a large Meccano kit – and the Steeton-based company says the innovation is proving a success with both domestic and international markets.

“We’re the only company in the world with a kit system for constructing non-standard rails,” said Mr Belmont.

“Instead of producing a single curved rail in a factory, designed to fit the precise measurements of a specific staircase, we build it from our range of straight, curved and angled pieces.

“Our installers use Sprinter vans full of the different components so everything they need is to hand.”

The Fast Track rapid installation service began on a trial basis last year.