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 |  |  | | | | While researching our upcoming feature on ‘Big Lifts’, Forkliftaction.com asked forklift, reach stacker and container handler manufacturers how the current tyre and steel supplies were affecting their businesses. Most were affected by the current tyre supply but everyone was concerned with steel supplies. A new study on the causes and impact of steel prices on the US agriculture and construction equipment industry has just been released to the members of: Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), Farm Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (FEMA) and North American Equipment Dealers’ Association (NAEDA). Go to our Fork Talk item to read more. |
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Manufacturers face steel and tyre supply difficulties
Forkliftaction.com News emailed forklift manufacturers to ask how the current steel and tyre supply difficulties were affecting their businesses. We asked two questions:
- We have learnt about a delay in the supply of industrial tyres. Your comment?
- How is the current steel supply and tyre supply affecting your business?
Here is an edited selection of their comments:
“It’s not only tyres but everything, even … glass. We have placed orders with our suppliers a year in advance for tyres and power trains.
“Steel is affecting everyone, so that’s the good news. We have tried to absorb some of the cost and pass on the difference. However our machines are still selling strongly so we have no choice but to go into full production - it also helps the cost by running at full capacity since the machines are all sold in advance.”
Greg Pannia, Omega Lift Manufacturing Inc operating manager
“We can't promise customers a specific brand, if required, at all times.
“Higher cost of production, some steel qualities up to 100%!!!”
Bjorn Fritzell, SMV Konecranes sales director
“Procurement of steel has been difficult recently but, being a good customer to steel mills for STS and RTGs, it does not affect the "big lifts" production at all. Tyres are another matter, most well-known brands (ie Bridgestone, Simex, Yokohama) have their year’s production full. We have been working closely with Simex and have our year 2005 and 2006 production covered.”
Jimmy Lozada, Fantuzzi product manager
Click here to read more comments.
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Clark employees indicted by grand jury
LEXINGTON, KY, United States
Clark vice president Robert E Quinn is one of two employees of the Lexington-based company indicted for allegedly violating a US trade embargo on Iran. (Forkliftaction.com News #191)
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported a federal grand jury in Washington DC also indicted Clark government/national accounts parts sales representative Michael H Holland and Mohammad A Sharbaf, of Sepahan Lifter Co, Iran, for allegedly violating the embargo by shipping forklift parts to Iran.
The court record contained excerpts from emails that indicated unnamed Clark executives in Korea and the US knew about the alleged conspiracy and refused to participate.
“We are a new Clark and we must seize all the parts sales opportunities we can,” Clark vice president Robert E Quinn said in a 2003 email after a Clark executive in Korea balked at helping ship parts to Iran.
Quinn, who was first charged with violating the embargo in a criminal complaint filed in December, was indicted on one count of conspiracy and five counts of violating the embargo.
Quinn and Holland entered not guilty pleas on May 2 in Washington. No trial date has been set, according to court records.
If convicted, each defendant could be fined up to USD250,000 and sentenced to as much as 10 years in prison on each count.
Shipments of goods to Iran are illegal under the trade embargo imposed in 1979 after the US Embassy in Tehran was seized and its occupants held hostage for 444 days.
The 20-page indictment also named two co-conspirators – one in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and one in Iran – who were not indicted. | |
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Hyster H28.00 RORO 28 Ton Detroit diesel, 3150mm lift height, 2400mm forks, side shift, fork positioning, full stevedoring specifications, lift ropes, 4200 hours, Excellent condition. NZ$215,000.00 (USD155,165) negotiable
Fantuzzi F42, 42 Ton, Cummins Engine, Clark Trans, 3 high stacking, 20/40 Telescopic Spreader, inverted forks, Standard forks, 15000 hours, full Stevedoring Specification, NZ$185,000.00 (USD133,514)
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Contact: Paul Tregonning 649-8374126 or 64274-935695
paul@stellarmachinery.co.nz
www.stellarmachinery.co.nz |  |
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Highest growth for Korean forklifts in five years
SEOUL, Korea, South
According to the latest statistics from the Korea Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (KOCEMA), forklift sales growth in Korea for 2004 was the largest in five years, increasing 32 per cent from 22,008 to 29,058.
It was the second time Korean forklift sales achieved double-digit percentage growth.
In 2004, Korean forklift manufacturers produced 29,375 forklifts, a 30.6 per cent increase from 2003’s total of 22,490.
Thirty per cent of the forklifts were for domestic consumption and 70 per cent were exported. Domestic consumption increased 2.2 per cent and exports increased 50.9 per cent.
Forklift sales grew 2.4 per cent in 2003, 6.8 per cent in 2002, 17.4 per cent in 2001 and 6.8 per cent in 2000. | |
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Another USD1 million for newer, cleaner forklifts
HOUSTON, TX, United States
The Texas Railroad Commission is spending an extra USD1 million to help employers retrofit old forklifts to newer, cleaner-burning equipment.
The San Antonio Business Journal reported the Texas Clean Air Forklift initiative enabled forklift operators to replace older propane, gasoline, compressed natural gas and diesel forklifts with 2004-compliant propane forklifts (Forkliftaction.com News #204).
Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael L Williams said:
“It’s been a great pleasure to hand out cheques to forklift owners for doing the right thing for our environment.”
According to the business journal, between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of the 45,000 propane forklifts in Texas operate in counties with poor air quality. | |
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Acquisitions contribute positively to Konecranes
HYVINKÄÄ, Finland
KCI Konecranes has attributed its first quarter sales growth to the acquisitions of SMV Lifttrucks AB (SMV) and Moris Material Handling Ltd (MMH) during the last quarter of 2004 (Forkliftaction.com News #174), (Forkliftaction.com News #191).
The group’s total sales for the quarter ending March 2005 were EUR 192.7 (USD246.7 million), an increase of 26.6 per cent from last year’s corresponding quarter.
All business areas reported growth and all market areas, except the Asia-Pacific region, posted growing sales numbers. In Asia-Pacific, sales remained at the same level as the March 2004 quarter.
Standard lifting equipment sales were EUR 64 million (USD81.9 million), an increase of 36.4 per cent from last year’s corresponding quarter, and operating income for the sector was EUR4.9 million (USD6.2 million).
Special cranes sales were EUR61.3 million (USD78.5 million), an increase of 42.1 per cent from last year’s corresponding quarter, and operating income for the sector was EUR1.3 million (USD1.7 million). | |
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**ANNOUNCEMENT**UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND RECEIVE ACCESS TO WHOLESALE TRADING FACILITIES!
Are you a dealer in used forklifts, stock pickers, container handlers, rough terrains or attachments? Then, upgrade your Forkliftaction.com membership to receive wholesale trading benefits. With a DEALER MEMBERSHIP you will gain instant access to wholesale listings in the Marketplace. Wholesale listings feature prices reserved for dealers only. You will also receive exclusive emails with wholesale clearance notifications and ‘machine wanted’ requests. The Dealer membership also includes 10 concurrent listings of stock items in the Marketplace.
To upgrade, email dealers@forkliftaction.com, phone +61 7 3369 9090 (AEST – GMT + 10 hrs) or fax +61 7 3369 9096.
Sign in now to access the 438 wholesale listings currently available to dealer members only! | |
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Five Cat Lift Truck dealers receive "platinum"
HOUSTON, TX, United States
Five Cat Lift Truck dealers were awarded platinum dealer of excellence awards and another 17 received gold dealer of excellence awards at a ceremony in Greece last week.
Under the program, Cat Lift Trucks’ US and Canadian dealers were awarded points in five categories, customer satisfaction, equipment growth, product support growth, asset utilisation and profitability.
Based on a points system, dealers were awarded the dealer of excellence titles in one of four classes, platinum, gold, silver or bronze.
Platinum dealers of excellence were Kelly Tractor Company, Miami, FL; LiftOne (a Carolina Tractor division), Charlotte, NC; Morrison Industrial Equipment Co, Grand Rapids, MI; Towlift Inc, Cleveland, OH; and Hewitt Material Handling Inc, Concord, ON, Canada. | |
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Movers & Shakers 
Barloworld has appointed Sibani Mngomezulu as its company secretary. He replaces Mike Barnett who retires after 25 years of service with Barloworld. He has worked with Barloworld as an adviser, initially as corporate finance executive at Cazenova, SA and more recently with JP Morgan in Johannesburg. Mngomezulu formerly worked for Merrill Lynch SA as assistant vice-president, corporate finance and for Webber Wentzel Bowens where he served articles and qualified as an attorney.
John Sneddon is the new managing director of Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corporation, US. Sneddon was the managing director at Jungheinrich Lift Truck Ltd, Ireland. He is succeeded by former regional sales manager at Jungheinrich, Ireland, Des Kavanagh. | |
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Forrester: USD26 billion online ad market/year by 2010
SYDNEY, Australia
Advertisers are increasing internet advertisement spending, with nearly half cutting spending on traditional media to do so, says a new Forrester Research Inc survey.
Nearly 85 per cent of advertisers plan to increase their online ad budgets this year, with increases averaging 25 per cent, according to the Forrester report.
More than 40 per cent of advertisers are cutting spending on traditional ad media, like magazines, newspapers and direct mail, to fund the online increase.
The report is based on surveys of 99 US-based national advertisers who buy online ads. Forrester also surveyed internet-related companies.
Forrester forecasted the online ad market would grow to USD26 billion annually by 2010, more than double last year’s USD12 billion. The report follows blowout earnings from Google Inc and other internet companies dependent on ads.
Forrester’s survey showed 47 per cent of those surveyed said they were increasing online ads by boosting their overall budgets while 43 per cent said they were cutting spending on other marketing outlets, with magazines, direct mail, and newspapers most commonly cited.
A trade group has reported the US online ad market in 2004 exceeded its 2000 size for the first time since the dot-com bust. The Interactive Advertising Bureau said US online ad revenue totalled USD9.6 billion in 2004, exceeding the USD7.3 billion reported a year earlier and the previous record of USD8.1 billion in 2000.
• Article from industrySearch.com.au®, an Australian online information portal for the manufacturing industry.
For more information:
www.industrysearch.com.au | |
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CARGO CHAT #1
This is Cargo Chat, our new monthly column on safety matters related to cargo handling. The column is brought to you by ICHCA International, a representative organisation of international cargo handling interests. It is based on ICHCA International’s bimonthly e-newsletter and International Safety Panel activities.
Read more | |
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NEW STUDY EXAMINES IMPACT OF STEEL PRICE ON US INDUSTRY
MILWAUKEE, WI, United States
A study by Global Insight Inc, Steel Markets: Causes and Factors Affecting Steel Prices in the Near and Medium Term, has been released to members of three trade groups.
The trade groups involved in the off-road equipment manufacturing and retail industries, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the Farm Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (FEMA), and the North American Equipment Dealers’ Association (NAEDA), worked together on the study prepared by economics consulting firm Global Insight.
The study examined in detail the causes of price increases, both cyclical and permanent, and the impact of those factors on agricultural and construction industry machinery makers and dealers.
The off-road equipment manufacturing industry is a major steel consumer. In 2004, prices of almost every steel type doubled, with several increasing more than 250 per cent.
The associations said:“The steel problems our industry currently face are the result of a ‘perfect storm’ of issues. The boom in China, the lack of raw materials, a weak US dollar, and the 2002 Section 201 steel tariffs have combined to greatly strain the steel industry.”
The study cited several main reasons for the rapid increase in steel prices. It identified explosive growth in the Chinese steel industry that strained global supply and lifted prices worldwide for steel-making raw materials as the most important factor.
Another factor the study singled out was a decline in steel prices over the two previous decades that led to US under-investment in mill maintenance and new mines/facilities for raw materials.
Other factors were the depreciation of the US dollar, tariffs on imported steel, increased prices for scrap and stronger industrial production in the US, Europe and Japan.
The study also examined global short and medium term factors that could affect future steel prices, including probable growth in India.
For more information about the study, go to the websites below:
FEMA website: www.farmequip.org
NAEDA website: www.naeda.com
AEM website: www.aem.org
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1. **Huge new market for used equipment launched**
BRISBANE, Australia
The Forkliftaction.com Marketplace is an easy-to-use platform for the purchase and sale of used motorised materials handling equipment and associated attachments.
With the Marketplace, Forkliftaction.com extended its integrated range of products for the global materials handling industry. The Forkliftaction.com community consists of +15,000 loyal members and is growing daily.
Industry professionals have signed up for free membership with Forkliftaction.com to exploit the benefits of our business resources. Over time the sheer size of this community has resulted in new business opportunities for members. Forkliftaction.com is visited +81,000 times every month (+2,800,000 monthly hits) by visitors seeking information, equipment, business contacts, sales leads and advice from fellow professionals. Visit the marketplace now!
Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. | |
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