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Dear reader, WELCOME TO FORKLIFTACTION.COM, MATERIALS HANDLING ONLINE. This is issue #338 - 29 November 2007 of the weekly newsletter for industry professionals. |
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 “Environment is priority for industry.” |
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Law firm sues United Rentals NEW YORK, NY, United States New York law firm Abbey Spanier Rodd & Abrams LLP is seeking to recover damages on behalf of people who purchased or acquired United Rentals securities between 29 August and 14 November. Abbey Spanier has commenced a class action lawsuit against United Rentals in the US District Court for the District of Connecticut on behalf of “all persons who acquired securities of United Rentals Inc” during the period. On 14 November, United Rentals publicly announced that private equity company Cerberus Capital Management LLP had informed the company it was not prepared to proceed with the merger agreement between the two. The complaint alleges United Rentals violated federal securities law by not disclosing that Cerberus had contacted the company several weeks after the merger agreement was signed. United Rentals announced it had entered into a definitive merger agreement with the affiliates of Cerberus on 23 July. Cerberus would acquire all outstanding shares of United Rentals common stock for USD34.50 per share. On 19 October, United Rentals announced its stockholders had approved the merger agreement. According to the complaint, several weeks after signing the merger agreement, Cerberus had expressed its concern about its ability to proceed with the merger due to changes in the credit and financial markets. On 14 November, United Rentals filed a Form 8-K that included correspondence from Cerberus dated 31 August and 6 September, demonstrating the merger had been at risk since 29 August. United Rentals’ shares plunged 31% - from USD34.01 per share to a closing price of USD23.50 - after news broke out that Cerberus was backing out of the merger. The lawsuit claims United Rentals’ failure to disclose information misled investors and caused the market for its shares to trade at prices artificially inflated by the belief the merger would proceed. Separately, Cerberus has told the New York Supreme Court that United Rentals’ lawsuit over its stalled USD4 billion acquisition contradicts the terms of their deal, CNNMoney.com reported (Forkliftaction.com News #337). The private equity company argued that it is only liable for USD100 million in damages if it terminates the deal, valued at USD6.6 billion including the assumption of debt. “United Rentals’ position flies in the face of the provisions of the merger agreement and the limited guarantee,” Cerberus said in a news release. “The plain text of the documents is directly contrary to United Rentals’ position.” According to the CNNMoney.com report, the dispute had been brewing privately for months. Cerberus executive Steven Mayer wrote to United Rentals general counsel Roger Schwed on 31 August seeking a discussion on the terms. The request was prompted by “concerns about recent unanticipated developments in the credit and financial markets”. United Rentals replied that financial market turmoil was specifically excluded as an escape clause in the merger agreement. Cerberus has filed a request for a declaratory judgment in New York State Supreme Court.  Crown lays off factory workers  DAYTON, OH, United States Crown Equipment Corp, one the largest forklift manufacturers in the US, has laid off a "significant" number of manufacturing employees, according to a report in the Dayton Daily News. Attributing the lay-offs to a general slump in demand for the forklifts, the paper was unable to ascertain the exact number of workers retrenched. Randy Niekamp, Crown's vice president for human resources, is quoted as withholding that number “to keep that information from competitors”. According to the report, the workers were informed on November 2 that they would be let go and their last day on the job was a week later. The plan, according to Niekamp, is to recall some or all of them if the demand improves from its recent slump. Crown did not see the lay-offs as significant enough to warrant notifying state authorities under the federal Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification Act, according to the News. Those requirements are intended to force employers to provide 60 days advance notice of plant closings and mass layoffs and apply when at least 500 employees or a third of any work force is retrenched. The Crown official is quoted as saying the affected Crown manufacturing employees worked in New Bremen, New Knoxville, Celina and Fort Loramie. Crown’s sales and services around the United States have not been affected by the cuts, the report concludes.  Supply chain industry going green United States A new survey has found that at least 90% of supply chain professionals worldwide rate green issues as a business priority to ensure success and profitability for the future. Eyefortransport’s Green Transportation and Logistics Global Report released this month was based on the input of 536 respondents in the supply chain industry worldwide. US respondents said government compliance, improved customer and public relations, a decreased fuel bill and financial ROI were the key drivers for investment in green initiatives. The Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific data revealed supply chain efficiency, a larger corporate responsibility agenda, a decreased fuel bill and improved customer and public relations were the most important drivers for the regions’ response to the green challenge. In Europe, improving customer and public relations and a larger corporate responsibility agenda were the highest on the list of drivers for green transportation and logistics initiatives. Asked what green initiatives have been implemented or planned, 59% of US respondents said they are improving or are planning to improve energy efficiency, 42% are using or are planning to use vehicle re-routing to reduce mileage and use strategic warehouse and distribution centre placement to go green. Another favoured initiative was emission measuring and/or reduction. The least frequent choice was the moving of freight away from air towards other modes. In the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, energy efficiency was the initiative being planned or currently used most often. Strategic warehouse and distribution centre placement was also popular. Least implemented initiatives included movement of freight away from air towards other modes and alternative fuels. European respondents chose improving energy efficiency as the most popular current or planned initiative followed by emissions measurement and reduction, vehicle re-routing and strategic warehouse and distribution centre placement. Intermodal transport changes were again the lowest reported. Eyefortransport conducted the Green Transportation & Logistics US Survey from June to July 2007. To compile the global report, another three surveys were conducted from August to September 2007 for the Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. A majority of the respondents came from the transport and logistics sector while the rest came from the hi-tech and electronics, food, retail and consumer packaged goods, automotive, chemical and healthcare/pharmaceutical and defence/aerospace sectors. Companies like Nike, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Fujitsu and GE Energy will be sharing their green transportation and logistics initiatives at the Green Transportation and Logistics World Summit at the Zurich Marriott on February 20-21, 2008. For more information, visit www.eft.com/green2008.  Year End Sale - Genuine Replacement Parts for Fantuzzi Sidelifts Dynamic Handling Concepts LLC exclusive Distributor of Fantuzzi Sidelift & forklift equipment & parts announces a Year End Sale with discount pricing of In Stock genuine replacement parts now to 31st December 2007 Contact Ryne San Hamel or Tim Flood at USA 800-692-5790 or email parts@dynamichandling.com ….or perhaps you need another Sidelift or Forklift?
Dynamic handling Concepts LLC 4055 W. Peterson Ave – Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60646 Fax (630) 324 7160   Tough times ahead in the UK STOCKTON-ON-TEES, United Kingdom Next year will be a tough one for the forklift market, according to UK business analysts Plimsoll Publishing. Plimsoll’s senior analyst David Pattison says economic uncertainty in Britain will cause some industry members to “sit tight and do nothing radical” while others will cut costs quickly to survive the storm in 2008. “The average growth in the forklift sector in 2007 has been 5%, but this growth was by no means universal,” he notes. Pattison says 33% of the companies Plimsoll surveyed saw their sales decline. However, he explains that sales should not be confused with profit. “Some smaller firms, with a turnover of GBP3 million (USD6.2 million) or less, lost out on sales but still enjoyed healthy margins.” These companies controlled costs and did well by trading in niche products. With pressure on sales predicted, Pattison advises companies to cut costs in 2008. “My advice is to reduce costs as part of a planned long-term strategy rather than doing so in panic mode.” He warns that firms in financial difficulties might be targeted for takeovers. “Arguably, there has never been a better time to go on the offensive and companies with large cash surpluses will be able to make some dirt-cheap acquisitions in 2008 as others begin to fail. “Anyone already finding it a struggle is likely to experience even tougher times [in 2008] unless immediate measures are taken to reduce costs and improve margins. “Those who take steps to streamline their business model or who supply a particular demand can expect to emerge in a relatively healthy position,” Pattison says. Jungheinrich modifies forklift to move cars HAMBURG, Germany Jungheinrich AG has developed a custom car transporter based on a pedestrian pallet truck for General Motors (GM) Powertrain in Germany. Made at its special equipment construction plant in Lüneburg, the car transporter is now being used to move test vehicles at GM Powertrain’s facility at Russelsheim, Germany. GM Powertrain tests motors and transmissions for a range of vehicles at the Russelsheim site. Health and safety legislation prevents the cars from being driven under their own power in the enclosed building to the test station. The transporter, adapted from an EJE pedestrian pallet truck, enables GM Powertrain to move vehicles around the workshops. Jungheinrich modified the pallet truck’s load section to devise a flexible car transporter that can pick up a vehicle from the front, back or middle and transfer it safely to its designated test station. The car transporter has clamps instead of standard forks. The clamps clasp the wheels of one axle and then lift the car. Jungheinrich AG spokesperson Wolfgang Fessel tells Forkliftaction.com News the special truck was built for GM Powertrain, but there has been demand for the truck from other car manufacturers. “There are orders from other German car manufacturers,” he says, adding that there are variations of the truck for other car manufacturers, for example, with a seat for longer distances. Fessel says the product is not available commercially, describing it as “a special product developed for one customer”. “If we see the market for a small series, we will be able to respond to that,” he says.  Briefs Jamco donates pallet jacks to relief effort CAMBRIDGE, Canada Forklift wholesaler Jamco has donated six Eagle55 pallet jacks to assist relief efforts in California after fires caused over USD1 billion in damage and forced the evacuation of a million people in October. Jamco vice president Tim Jamal says the pallet jacks were shipped on November 8 after some hitches in co-ordinating the shipment. The pallet jacks were donated to Adventist Community Services in San Diego, one of the agencies distributing aid to the affected areas. Regulator finds Dutch workplaces unsafe ROTTERDAM, Netherlands The Dutch Labour Inspectorate says about half of the transport sector companies it visited were not complying with workplace health and safety regulations. Forklifts, cranes and other equipment were found to be badly maintained and goods were stored in unsafe warehouse racking. Other findings by the regulator include missing user manuals, risk of falling and the presence of dangerous substances like diesel engine emissions. According to the Labour Inspectorate report, about five fatal forklift accidents occur annually and nearly 200 people are injured. The Labour Inspectorate inspected over 500 companies from April 2006 to March 2007 to observe the use of forklifts, cranes and other equipment. AEM launches Russian show MILWAUKEE, WI, United States The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has started a new exhibition, CONEXPO Russia. The inaugural show from 15 September to 18 September 2008 in Moscow, focusing on construction, forestry and utility equipment, was launched to meet manufacturers’ needs to exhibit their products in the growing Russian marketplace. Caterpillar, Komatsu, JCB, Terex and Volvo are among the companies that have committed to exhibiting at the show which also has the support of the Russian Builders Union, the Russian Builders Association and the Russian Association of Regional Highway Administrators. Toyota raises forklift prices TOKYO, Japan Toyota has announced that the domestic price of its forklifts, towing tractors and shovel loaders will increase up to 3% from December 17. The company blames the rising costs of crude oil, lead and copper, rubber and steel for the price hike. An industry insider says other Japanese forklift manufacturers are likely to follow Toyota’s lead and that the higher prices can extend to the export market. Seven things to consider when preparing your 2008 marketing plan
Contact our advertising sales team on info@forkliftaction.com, phone +61 (0)7 3369 9090 or fax +61 (0)7 3369 9096.  TVH an integration enterprise WAREGEM, Belgium TVH Forklift Parts has been recognised as an “integration enterprise” by the Belgian ministry for Mobility, Social Economy and Equal Opportunities. The recognition is given for eight years starting from the employment date of the first integration employee. TVH human resource manager Gerd Bellemans says the recognition is given to companies that commit to employing the “underprivileged and involve them in the realisation of the companies’ objectives”. Bellemans says TVH is committed to hiring 40 competent integration employees in four years from the employment date of the first employee. Its first integration employee was hired in 2006. He boasts that the recognition is a logical consequence of the “dynamic, positive personnel management” of TVH. “The company wants to give everybody opportunities and always judges employees on their potential instead of their shortcomings.” Dealer of the year holds open day ABERDEEN, United Kingdom Over 300 people attended the open day at Gray Forklift Services Ltd’s new sales, service and refurbishing centre. The authorised Mitsubishi dealer for north east Scotland used the day to exhibit the latest models. The display included the compact FBKRT PAC three-wheel electric forklifts, N series of gas and diesel forklifts and eight to 16 tonne diesel series that is a finalist for one of the Fork Lift Truck Association Awards in 2008. Gray, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks UK ‘dealer of the year’ for 2007, employs 30 people; 20 are forklift technicians. The company offers a 24-hour mobile service supported by its parts warehouse on Altens Industrial Estate in Aberdeen. Mitsubishi regional manager Mike Jones praises Gray for organising the open day: “In a national dealer network that prides itself on its friendly, expert customer care, we can always expect something special from our ‘dealer of the year’.” Massive shark moved by forklift LONDON, United Kingdom Four men and a forklift were needed to carry a gigantic shark into a market hall where it was auctioned off for 50p (USD1.03) a kilogram. The 510kg, five metre-long shark was caught by fisherman Roger Nowell who, with his crewmate Joe Crowe, was looking for squid, TimesOnline reported. “We’d only been out for a few minutes and we brought the net up to have a look,” the fisherman says. “There was no squid but this massive shark – it was the biggest one I’d ever seen. It was fairly alarming. “It was still alive but had almost drowned in the nets and as soon as it landed on deck it thrashed around like crazy. It caused around GBP500 worth of damage to the hydraulics, it was that heavy.” Darren Payne, the auctioneer, initially thought the catch might be worthless. “It’s too big for most people to take on. There were about 20 people here at the auction but most of them were here to have a look. “Bidding started at 50p (USD1.03) and that’s where it ended. We’ve checked and as far as we can see, it’s the biggest one ever caught in the world.” Click here to see a photo of the shark. Search 4470 listings in the MarketplaceSample of used equipment for sale:
and thousands more... Click here to include your used forklifts, stackers, telehandlers, container handlers, attachments etc.
Brambles expects high growth in ‘08 BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia Brambles expects strong profit growth in 2008 on the back of solid sales growth from CHEP, its pallets and containers business, and Recall, its document and information management division. At its recent annual general meeting in Brisbane, Brambles reported a net profit for 2006/07 of US$613.4 million (A$766.5 million), down from $US647.1 million (A$808.6 million) in the prior year. But on a like-for-like basis, accounting for the effect of businesses sold during the year, comparable operating profit was up 21% to US$932.8 million (A$1.17 billion). Brambles chief executive Michael Ihlein told shareholders Brambles is in an excellent position to accelerate profitable growth. "We are continuing to win new business in both new and existing markets," Ihlein said. In the past few months, Brambles has signed deals with some notable customers, including Pepsi in Canada, personal care products maker Body Blue, Italian tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel, UK meat supplier Anglo Beef, and Australian supermarket chain Woolworths. The company is also looking at acquisition opportunities in businesses offering related supply chain solutions. Orders pour in for new model SYDNEY, NSW, Australia A new range of forklifts available from Powerlift Nissan is attracting attention from a diverse range of end-users. Already this month, orders have been placed for the 2008 model 1F series from an Adelaide fruit market, an electricity company in the Hunter Valley, and from two of the largest transport and logistics companies in Australia, says national sales manager Chris Burns. Burns tells Forkliftaction.com News that the new model replaces the LX series and is packed with new features. “In particular, the newly developed Nissan fuel-injected engine reduces carbon monoxide emissions by 60% and it is incredibly quiet, registering just 70.6 dB output. “Add to this the newly developed ‘bullet proof’ Nissan-built transmission, the new LCD display dashboard, onboard speed limiting, super-wide view mast, patented stability system and mast lock system and it’s no wonder the new 1F series Nissan has taken off.” According to Burns, the 1.5 tonne LPG model uses 30% less fuel than its major rival in the Australian market, and he attributes this to the engine based on Nissan automobile technology. “It utilises a fuel-injected engine with oxygen sensors on the exhaust outlet of the closed-loop catalytic converter system. These sensors continually measure the amount of oxygen in the exhaust and the onboard computer automatically modifies the fuel to air mixture, giving the leanest mix of fuel possible.” He adds that the 1F series has an “eco” mode which further limits the high-end idle speed to 2,400rpm and also limits the throttle valve opening which further reduces fuel consumption. Another new feature is the super-wide view mast with outer chains which allows the operator uninterrupted vision through the mast. “Previous models had the chains and hosing positioned inside the mast channels which gave lesser vision forward. The super-wide view mast makes for a safer operation and can also speed up an operation as the driver can manoeuvre with greater ease, visibility and safety,” says Burns. CHEP cuts truck queues SYDNEY, NSW, Australia CHEP’s new express appointment booking service, piloted at Rosehill Service Centre in Sydney, has delivered impressive results with eight months of data showing savings of 15 minutes per truck. The booking system was aimed at improving productivity and cutting downtime by significantly reducing truck waiting times. CHEP’s Australian operations require some 350,000 truck movements annually, resulting in tens of millions of pieces of equipment transiting to and from CHEP’s service centre network. To quantify the problem at the outset, the CHEP team used GPS units in CHEP trucks to capture data on service centre traffic and queuing times. The data showed peak waiting periods early in the morning, dropping off throughout the day. Modelling indicated that waiting times would increase over time without action. The team identified that the greatest factor affecting waiting times was unscheduled and clustered truck arrival times. Previously, trucks were serviced on a first-in, first-out basis. While this was flexible and simple, this system operated at the expense of predictability and resulted in heavy ‘waste’ activity. Through CHEP Express, customers elect a preferred three-hour window, and a guaranteed appointment time is offered within the preferred period. Bookings can extend to multiple loads, which facilitate scheduled programming for up to weeks ahead, significantly increasing productivity. Following the success of the pilot, CHEP Express is now operational at Rosehill (NSW), Clayton and Altona (VIC), with a further four sites – Gillman (SA), Meeandah, Rocklea (QLD) and Canningvale (WA) – under consideration. The system allows truck arrivals to be spread out at regular intervals throughout the day, minimising the impact of waiting and servicing periods. CHEP NSW Metropolitan operations manager Craig Johnson says transport operators told CHEP that waiting times were a pressure point they’d like relieved, as idle trucks cost money. Customers are now realising value from the new system, which has been well received. “Rosehill, Clayton and Altona each handle about 150 trucks a day, and it takes about a half-hour to service each truck,” says Johnson. “In peak times such as early morning, a queue of 12 to 15 trucks can take two to three hours to clear. That’s not efficient for transporters, their customers or for CHEP.” Using a Six Sigma model to improve productivity and efficiency, the Rosehill project cut waiting times for scheduled trucks, and more than 75% of daily movements are now using the scheduling service. Similar to its predecessors Quality Control and TQM, Six Sigma is an effective systematic and data-driven method for eliminating process inefficiencies while offering a Just-In-Time approach to logistics management. Forklift incident at fun park GOLD COAST, Queensland, Australia It’s been reported that the Queensland government has investigated dozens of safety incidents at the state’s popular theme parks, one of which involved a forklift. In March last year, investigators reported that a warehouse assistant was rushed to hospital after being exposed to elevated levels of carbon monoxide at Wet 'n' Wild. The worker became unwell while operating an LPG-powered forklift in a coldroom for about 50 minutes. The theme park has since switched to electric-powered forklifts. Freight volumes make road upgrades urgent SYDNEY, NSW, Australia Labor’s plan to invest $660 million toward upgrading Sydney’s roads and creating an improved freight network will create higher levels of productivity for transport operators, says the Australian Trucking Association (ATA). Monday’s announcement saw Labor’s Martin Ferguson commit over $660 million toward ‘unchoking’ Sydney’s major freight routes. The funding will be drawn from Auslink 2 and will cover the planning and upgrading of Parramatta Rd in Sydney’s Inner West, the duplication of sections of the Great Western highway, the widening of sections of the F5 Freeway and the connection of the F3 to Sydney’s ring road. With the volume of freight in Australia expected to double over the next 20 years, the ATA stresses that the push for greater productivity within the trucking industry has never been greater. The ATA is calling for support from all levels of government toward achieving this much needed reform and growth in productivity levels.  Send this newsletter to an associate
Associated Material Handling announces Groundbreaking of New Corporate Headquarters Associated Material Handling Industries, Inc. currently based in Carol Stream, Illinois is expanding their presence in the Chicagoland area by building a new state-of-the-art facility at 133 Switt Road in Addison, IL. Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. SMH opens a new Distribution Center Due to continued growth and an ongoing effort to improve service to customers, SMH is pleased to announce the opening of a distribution facility in Duncan, South Carolina. Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. 
Maersk, Jones Stevedoring purchases Hoist P-Series forklifts Click here for more information on this product, including pictures. TIRE-SAVER new “N” series for Forklifts Click here for more information on this product, including pictures. Bolzoni Auramo intelligent clamps model CTX – The Key to Damage-free Paper Handling Click here for more information on this product, including pictures. 
BITA keeps fees at 2007 level SUNNINGHILL, United Kingdom British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) members have voted unanimously not to raise membership fees for next year. Click here for the full Fork Talk feature, including pictures.   |
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