Combilift USA has recognised Industrial Parts & Service Co (IPS) of North Canton, Ohio as the multidirectional equipment brand's top-selling North American dealer during 2009.

"Industrial Parts & Service has not only been selected as the top Combilift dealer of excellence for 2009, but has been one of our top three dealers almost every year since becoming a dealer, an achievement which is unique to them," says Tommy Cadden, president of Combilift USA. IPS became a Combilift dealer in 2003.

Combilift has 60 North American dealers with more than 200 servicing locations, with IPS playing a critical role through the years.

At a 2004 trade show, Combilift representatives met Ryan George, real estate and facilities manager for Associated Materials Inc of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The meeting led to a presentation including IPS and ongoing discussions relating to the need of Associated Materials for equipment with telescopic forks to transport and access vinyl siding in a double-deep storage system. Variations in building dimensions and column spacing posed problems.

Associated Materials placed an initial order for more than a dozen camera-equipped Combilift C6000 units with KOOI-brand ReachForks from Meijer Special Equipment VOF (MSE-Forks) of St. Jacobiparochie, the Netherlands and began to rack out specific spaces in its North American warehouses.

The partnership grew. "A few years later, we asked Associated Materials what was needed for Combilift to get more business," says Gearoid Hogan, vice president of marketing for Combilift USA.

Associated Materials expressed an interest in counterbalance equipment. Combilift began development in early 2007 and launched the CB6000 in 2008 to fulfill the customer's need for counterbalance capability in certain situations.

Now, including both models, Associated Materials operates more than 80 Combilift forklifts in about 50 of the firm's 125 North American supply centres, says Edwin Mauser Jr, principal at IPS.

Using retractable ReachForks attached to a hydraulic fork positioner, Associated Materials can store 16 foot (4.8m) vinyl siding in nine footwide (2.7m) aisles in double-deep positions.

Associated Materials, a unit of AMH Holdings Inc II, owns and operates through manufacturers and distributors of the Alside, Gentek, UltraGuard, Revere, Preservation and Alpine brands of vinyl windows, vinyl, aluminium and steel siding, fencing and other exterior building products.

For the fiscal year ended 2 January, consolidated AMH Holdings reported a loss of USD7.3 million on sales of USD1.05 billion. Sales were USD1.13 billion in the previous fiscal year.

In 2007, Combilift USA established a national management system, Combicare, to support major fleet operators. IPS and Associated Materials were the program pioneers.

A customer calls a toll-free telephone number, a Combicare representative pinpoints the issues and a nearby dealer is dispatched to take care of the problem, Hogan says. "Dealers across the country may have different levels of experience, but, through Combicare, we can provide consistent support at the best level."

Customer calls are answered at Combilift USA's operational headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina or a technical support office in Houston, Texas.

IPS serves as national account management dealer for Associated Materials and another fleet operator, and Combilift USA has rolled out Combicare for several other major customers. The central office handles billing nationwide and can share its detailed findings with the fleet operators.

IPS employs 35 staff including 13 shop and service technicians, occupies 27,000 square feet (2,430 sqm) and serves a 25-county region in north east Ohio.

In addition to Combilift, IPS represents the Linde transport, storage, order picking and stacking lines of Kion Group GmbH's North American material handling operation and the truck-mounted Moffett forklift brand of Cargotec Corp.

In addition to IPS, Combilift USA names eight other North American dealers of excellence for 2009: Alta Lift Truck Services Inc of Wixom, Michigan; Arnold Machinery Co of Salt Lake City, Utah; Combilift Depot Texas of Tomball, Texas; Equipment Depot Pennsylvania of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; Louisiana Lift & Equipment Inc of St. Rose, Louisiana; Papé Material Handling of Eugene, Oregon; Riekes Equipment Co of Omaha, Nebraska; and Springer Equipment Co Inc of Birmingham, Alabama.