 DFK polycarbonate cab on Hyster forklift |
DFK Cab Ltd is chasing more North American business after establishing subsidiary DFK America Inc and moving to set up a warehouse in Downers Grove.
"We have full access to the DFK product line," says Michael Kelly, vice president and general manager of DFK America. The expansion constitutes a response to increased demand for DFK products in the North American market.
The parent company manufactures modular cabins for forklift trucks and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) in facilities in Popovice near Uherské Hradiště in the south east Czech Republic. "The UTV market is strong" in North America, Kelly says.
Dalibor Kaňovský began privately manufacturing forklift cabs in 1997, established DFK Cab in 2003 and moved the business to the Popovice site in 2004.
As DFK Cab chief executive officer, Kaňovský approached Kelly in April about bringing the DFK product line to North America.
Prior to joining DFK, Kelly worked in sales and marketing for Taylor Machine Works International Inc in Alpha, New Jersey, exporting Taylor-brand forklifts to markets outside the US and Canada.
"I have been involved in a lot of start-ups," notes Kelly. Regarding the DFK culture, "I like the company, I like the owner and I like the product."
Kelly filed the DFK America incorporation papers in mid-August. He is busy launching operations, completing a lease for the 7,000 sqft. (630 sqm) warehouse in the Chicago metropolitan area, starting a US website and anticipating arrival of the first load of product in mid-October.
DFK America intends to have a presence during the Industrial Truck Association's annual meeting on 22-23 September in Palm Beach, Florida.
As part of its earlier development, DFK Cab set up a distribution centre in Moscow, Russia in 2006 to serve markets in all of the independent countries formerly associated with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. DFK's exclusive distributor in France since 2008 is Cabines Sarrazin SAS, based in the commune of Beaurepaire in south eastern France.
The manufacturer progressed from manufacturing cabs of metal and canvas to the introduction in 2007 of polycarbonate cabins for select forklift truck models. The transparent plastic cabs provide better visibility than the metal cabins, weigh less and feature doors with an unbreakable material rather than glass, according to DFK.
Kelly adds, "The polycarbonate cab has the best visibility in the industry."
DFK supplies complete cabs or separate panels for more than 20 different forklift brands in more than 15 countries and, in 2008, extended its offering of polycarbonate cabins to the UTV market.
The DFK production facility was certified under ISO 9001 in 2005 and under the European Economic Area's CE marking and the Commonwealth of Independent States' GOST state standard in 2007.
Recently, DFK Cab enlarged the plant to 34,560 sqft. (3,200 sqm). Initially, the plant occupied 23,760 sqft. (2,200 sqm).
The expansion included the acquisition of additional land now measuring about 3.7 acres. The original site occupied 2.4 acres.
US-based suppliers of forklift cabs include Custom Products of Litchfield Inc in Litchfield, Minnesota; Martin Sheet Metal Inc division Martin Cab in Cleveland, Ohio; Covercab Inc of Ridgewood, New York; and Cabs-ROPS & Attachments Inc of Iron River, Wisconsin. Harris-Stolper International Inc of Brampton, Ontario, Canada is another North American supplier.