Caritas is using a Mitsubishi FG25N in its warehouse. Photo: Caritas of Waco

Caritas of Waco, an emergency assistance non-profit organisation, has upgraded its materials handling capabilities with better warehouse equipment.

Caritas obtained a LPG-powered 2006 Mitsubishi FG25N forklift with a lifting capacity of 5,512 lb. (2,500 kg) with a portion of a USD25,000 grant from the hunger relief and healthy eating program of the Walmart Foundation of Bentonville, Arkansas.

The Equipment Depot dealership in Waco reconditioned the forklift, replaced the pneumatic tyres and, in its Dallas facility, applied new paint to the FG25N, which had 3,000 service hours.

Buddy Edwards, Caritas executive director, says the group applied for the grant in early 2013 and received notification of acceptance in July. Including the Mitsubishi, Caritas operates four materials handling machines - of which three are older well-worn units - in its 20,000 sqft. (1,858 sqm) warehouse, says Edwards.

Eddie Burns, an Equipment Depot sales representative in Waco, made the arrangements for the transaction and is searching now for a suitable stacker truck for Caritas. Burns says he identified a Linde ESW40 stacker as being appropriate, but the dealership sold the equipment before Burns could complete a deal for Caritas.

The Waco location reports within the Equipment Depot south-west region of the Americas' operation of parent firm Pon Holdings BV of Almere, the Netherlands.

Caritas has a relationship with a return centre of retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. "Since 2004, we have redistributed to other (non-profit) organisations in the central Texas area," Edwards says. "We get two to three tractor-trailer loads each week. Basically, we utilise food products for individuals. All of the food coming in goes out with the possible exception of spoiled food products. Even those get used at a hog farm."

During 2010, Caritas received and distributed approximately 2.1 million lb. (945,000 kg) of food products, and approximately 2.7 million lb. (1.2 million kg) of non-food products.