FORKLIFTACTION.COM
MATERIALS HANDLING ONLINE #31 September 13, 2001
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The fortnightly newsletter for industry professionals.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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1. CASCADE INCOME SLIPS, OUTLOOK BLEAK
2. IMPCO WINS USD21M JUNGHEINRICH DEAL
3. ATLET WINS IKEA WAREHOUSE CONTRACT
4. EUROPEAN EQUIPMENT SECTOR SLIPPING
5. INSIDE FORKLIFTACTION.COM
6. MARKET "UNCERTAIN", SAYS BT INDUSTRIES
7. FALKENROTH ACQUIRES FORK MANUFACTURER
8. FART CONVICTION OVERTURNED
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1. CASCADE INCOME SLIPS, OUTLOOK BLEAK
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PORTLAND, USA -- Cascade president Robert Warren has blamed decreased orders and shipment rates across the forklift industry for the company's 13.7 per cent sales decline in the six months to July 31.
For the three months to July 31, Cascade Corporation reported net income of USD4.1 million, an 11 per cent slip from the USD4.6 million in the same quarter in 2000. Net sales fell to USD75.7 million, compared to USD87.8 million in 2000.
Cascade's north America forklift orders dropped 44 per cent in the quarter and shipment rates 13 per cent, compared to the July 2000 quarter. North America sales for the quarter fell 14.1 per cent, and the six months to July 31 saw a fall of 11.4 per cent.
Mr Warren said industry statistics suggested Cascade's results, at least until the end of year, would trail its 2000 figures.
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2. IMPCO WINS USD21M JUNGHEINRICH DEAL
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CERRITOS, USA -- Impco Technologies, a manufacturer of alternative fuel systems for internal combustion engines, has signed a three-year, USD21 million deal to supply engines to German forklift maker Jungheinrich.
Impco chairman Robert Stemmler said the significance of the contract "cannot be overstated". The contact is to supply "fully dressed" engines, but the companies have not revealed exactly what Impco will do to the engines.
"Impco is extremely pleased to have been selected by Jungheinrich to supply engine packages for their forklifts," he said. "Impco and our customers see tremendous importance in the value-added systems approach to powertrain supply and emission certification."
Hamburg, Germany-based Jungheinrich produces more than 57,000 battery electric and internal combustion gas, petrol and diesel forklifts each year, and is the fourth-biggest manufacturer in the global market.
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3. ATLET WINS IKEA WAREHOUSE CONTRACT
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DONCASTER, United Kingdom -- Gothenburg, Sweden-based electric forklift manufacturer Atlet has won a contract to supply 58 warehouse lift trucks to Norbert Dentressangle (ND), which is managing furniture and homewares giant Ikea's new distribution centre development near Doncaster.
Atlet will supply 17 UNS Tergo electric reach trucks, 15 TPL Select low-level order pickers, three TLP powered pallet transporters, and 23 Komatsu counterbalance forklifts, including 16 electric and seven LPG machines.
Atlet has also developed a custom battery changing system for the site, which it claims reduces battery change times from 15 minutes to one minute.
Ikea's 1.8 square kilometre distribution centre is part of an expansion plan that will see the company open 20 outlets across the UK over the next three years. Ikea expects to double the size of the centre in the next five years.
ND commercial director Simon Clifford said Atlet won the contract from six other companies, which he did not name. "Atlet was chosen partly for the ability to supply trucks to our extremely demanding specifications - offering high productivity, excellent ergonomics and, in tests, a high level of driver acceptability," he said. Mr Clifford did not reveal the contract price.
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4. EUROPEAN EQUIPMENT SECTOR SLIPPING
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BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European equipment sector grew 8 per cent in 2000, but this year a decline of 10 per cent is possible, according to a new report.
The snapshot from the Economic Dossier 2001, prepared by Sigma, shows a five per cent decline in the European market so far in 2001, with predictions that the slip could grow to -16 per cent by 2003.
It attributed the 2000 growth to increased government projects, low inflation and interest rates, and a weak euro. Strong sales of used equipment outside Europe fuelled new equipment sales. The report identified equipment rental as an area of strong growth.
Last year new reach truck sales were up 14 per cent from 1999. General unit sales grew in all European countries in 2000, excluding Denmark. France (20 per cent) was the fastest growing with 30,019 units, closing in on top-ranked Germany (32,117), where the equipment market grew only three per cent compared to 1999.
Italy grew seven per cent, selling 25,230 units, the UK was up six per cent with 20,214 units, followed by Spain, with 11,634 units, and the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium, which all sold less than 10,000 units.
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BRIEFLY...
5. INSIDE FORKLIFTACTION.COM
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US TERRORIST TRAGEDY
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BRIEFLY...
6. MARKET "UNCERTAIN", SAYS BT INDUSTRIES
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MJOLBY, Sweden -- Forklift manufacturer BT Industries, in a financial report for January to June, says the slowdown in the materials handling market in the USA is creating uncertainty about the future of other markets.
"In Western Europe, demand has continued to develop positively, although market expectations have now generally been lowered," the report said. Markets other than Western Europe and the USA had been varied, but had not declined.
BT president Carl-Erik Ridderstrale said the north American market was "troubling". "We are seeing a sharp, deep decline and at this point it is difficult to predict the future," he said.
Despite the struggling US market, where orders for the first half dropped by almost one third, BT's overall net income rose 18 per cent to reach USD35.39 million.
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7. FALKENROTH ACQUIRES FORK MANUFACTURER
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SCHALKSMUHLE, Germany -- The Falkenroth Group has expanded its fork manufacturing capacity with the acquisition of Satrup-based Molzen, Jacobsen & Company.
Falkenroth, established in 1829, is the materials handling industry's second-largest fork arm producer with sales of USD25 million in 2000. Its range of products caters for one to 60-tonne lifting capacities.
Falkenroth spokesman Silke Pielhau said Molzen, Jacobsen & Company, which also manufactures forklift arms, would become a 100 per cent-owned subsidiary of Falkenroth, and be renamed MoJaCo Fodertechnik GmbH. Falkenroth would not reveal the value of the acquisition.
"With this acquisition, Falkenroth is following the international trends, with the OEM market facing further concentration," he said. The acquisition would expand Falkenroth's existing line-up, and bring a "reasonable" increase in annual sales revenue.
Falkenroth has partners and distributors in many locations, including Tennessee and Ohio in the USA, Australia and China.
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8. FART CONVICTION OVERTURNED
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WERRIBEE, Australia -- A forklift driver who made Australian legal history by being fined in June for passing wind has had his conviction overturned.
David Paul Grixti, 27, was fined AUD200 and convicted of offensive behaviour after it was alleged he had passed wind near a police officer at a police station. A witness said the act was audible and the odour "offensive".
The Daily Telegraph said a judge ruled that the prosecution did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the act was deliberate. Prosecutor Stephen Dewberry said that, from his own experience as a father, boys from age 10 could pass wind at will.
Grixti's conviction was overturned, but the fine remained.
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