Henningsen needed equipment that could work in the cold

Henningsen Cold Storage, one of the largest warehousing companies in the United States, turned to Crown Equipment Corporation when it built a cold storage facility at Hillsboro, Oregon.

"Our Hillsboro facility does huge volume - probably one-and-a-half times what we had planned. The RM 6000 delivers," says Pete Lepschat, engineering services manager at Henningsen Cold Storage. "Other competitors couldn't get to the height and capacity that we needed.

"We wanted a heavier pallet higher and faster, and Crown was able to come out on top. With the Xpress Lower feature, if you start adding the lifting and lowering speed advantage you know you'll move more pallets in an hour. Those seconds make a difference in a day's time."

In the past, the company had trouble finding pallet jacks that were robust enough to hold up in a refrigerated application. Henningsen operators use the rider pallet forklifts for low-level order picking, as well as loading and unloading trailers on the dock. According to Lepschat, competitor trucks could not stand up to the tough, demanding environment and operator fatigue was an issue because of the constant manouevring of the truck in tight spaces.

Crown claims its PE 4500 Series rider pallet trucks feature the industry's largest, most powerful drive unit and up to 45% more steel than competitive models in areas of the truck that face constant stress and the highest risks of costly damage. The trucks are ergonomically designed to reduce strain and fatigue while allowing operators to accomplish more at a faster pace, even in the most challenging environments.

Henningsen operator James Lewis Jr says compared to other brands of pallet trucks, the Crown PE 4500 is easier on drivers' bodies: "It's not as hard on your shoulders and hips. It keeps you loose and allows you to come back the next day and get the job done. You don't have to worry about your body hurting as much. Operating the Crown PE 4500 means I don't have to go home sore. I'm able to pick up my kids and play around at home."

Henningsen Cold Storage's refrigerated logistics consists of a national warehouse network totaling more than 53 million cu ft. (1.5 million m3) of multi-temperature controlled storage (-20 to +60°F/-30 to 15.5°C).

The company is based in the Pacific Northwest with 11 facilities located throughout the United States.