A 1992 Merlo telehandler has just been retired after putting in 36,000 hours or the equivalent of 30 years' work at a Belgian factory.

The Panoramic P30.7 XS, which was obtained by the Ardo Company in 1993 to move vegetables, and another Panoramic that has worked 34,000 hours, have been replaced by a Turbofarmer P34.7 Plus.

The two Merlo telehandlers worked three shifts a day in Ardo's factory in the village of Ardooie, in west Flanders. Both machines have their original engines and hydrostatic transmissions. Ardo's maintenance records show the machines were subjected to an intensive servicing schedule to maintain their reliability.

Ardooie has a 30 per cent share of the annual 2.5 million ton vegetable business in western Europe, a Merlo statement said. The family-owned Ardo business accounts for about 380,000 tons of spinach and peas annually.

Ardo was established by Edward Haspeslagh in 1997 as a pea producer. It has plants in eight European countries and exports to 54 countries.