Hövelmann was part of the test program for Yale's new MO25 low-level order picker last year.

One of Germany's leading beverage logistics companies has turned to Yale and its authorised dealer Helmut Reiter to manage part of its materials handling operations.

Hövelmann-Ahr Getränke Logistik, based in Oberhausen, Germany, stores and distributes beer, soft drinks and mineral water. It signed a service agreement for part of its fleet of more than 110 counterbalance and warehouse trucks with Helmut Reiter, 18 months ago.

When the company needed new warehouse trucks, it turned to Helmut Reiter salesman Oliver Priedigkeit for support.

"Hövelmann was part of the test program for Yale's new MO25 low-level order picker last year," Priedigkeit says. Staff used the truck for three weeks and were so impressed they placed an order after completing the product testing. The order became the first MO25 to be sold and delivered in Europe.

However, while using the pilot truck, Hövelmann operators identified design changes they thought would improve it.

They asked Yale to change the design of the front rollers to allow easier entry into pallets with bottom boards, and requested an option of three positions for the front rollers. They also requested a flat bar onto which the company could mount the operator's keypad and computer/monitor picking terminal, rather than the original design's round bar.

The battery compartment design was changed to accommodate a 620 amp/hour battery. A soft polyurethane bumper for the operator's knees was specified, as was a cushioned floor mat - both of which are now standard.

The first MO25 off the Yale production line has been in service for more than a year now, and resulted in an order for 11 more units.

Peter Thome, head storeman at Hövelmann, says the trucks' modifications helped the company provide a comfortable working environment for operators, and boosted the efficiency of loading and unloading pallets.

The contract's value is confidential.