If there's one good thing to come out of the recent disasters, it's the willingness of the materials handling sector to offer a helping hand.
During the Japanese earthquake and tsunami earlier this year, we saw the major forklift companies throwing their support behind recovery activities and not only helping their own affected staff, but also helping the wider community.
This week, we read about the US Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association co-ordinating efforts by its members to help out in the wake of Hurricane Irene, a category 3 storm that struck the US East Coast. We also read about acts of kindness from individual companies.
It's clear that when disaster strikes, the forklift industry is there to help, just as it does for a range of community issues ranging from cancer research to social welfare. Such gestures make us proud to be part of an industry which is always ready to do the heavy lifting when times are tough.