FORKLIFTACTION.COM
MATERIALS HANDLING ONLINE #43 February 7, 2002
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The independent, global newsletter for industry professionals.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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1. NACCO SHIFTING SE-ASIA LOGISTICS HQ FROM SYDNEY TO SHANGHAI?
2. JUNGHEINRICH SURGES THROUGH STRUCTURAL CHANGE
3. REVITALISED PORT TO BOOST BRAZILIAN TRADE
4. FORKLIFT OPERATOR'S DEATH WORTH USD925,000
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1. NACCO SHIFTING SE-ASIA LOGISTICS HQ FROM SYDNEY TO SHANGHAI?
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SHANGHAI, China -- Nacco Industrial Group will close its Sydney, Australia, logistics branch and base its south-east Asian headquarters in Shanghai, China, according to Asia Pulse.
The newspaper reported Nacco chief executive Alfred Rankin as saying, after a meeting with acting Shanghai mayor Chen Liangyu, that Nacco would move its logistics transportation arm from Sydney to Shanghai's Pudong New district.
Nacco's Sydney office would not comment before consulting the Mayfield Heights, USA, head office. It is not clear whether staff will be moved from Sydney, nor whether jobs will be lost.
Mr Rankin said Nacco's decision came from confidence in the sustained economic growth, investment environment and business expertise in Shanghai, and the efficiency of the Shanghai government. Mr Chen said construction in Shanghai would bring additional investment opportunities.
Nacco has, in recent years, opened China outlets in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Shenyang, Suzhou and Wuhan. It established a forklift joint venture in Pudong in 1998.
Website: http://www.nacco.com
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2. JUNGHEINRICH SURGES THROUGH STRUCTURAL CHANGE
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HAMBURG, Germany -- After making major changes to the focus of its business early last year, including cutting loose its dealer network, Jungheinrich AG is happy with progress and is further expanding its reach in Europe and abroad.
Jungheinrich's decision to concentrate on its core Jungheinrich brand, at the expense of the Boss and Steinbock brands, and distribute products via direct marketing, prompted fierce criticism and threats of legal action when Jungheinrich scrapped its distribution agreement with Steinbock GmbH dealers.
Some products are now available through select dealers under the MIC brand, but other products are marketed direct.
Up to 50 former Steinbock dealers threatened action over the terminated contracts last April. Steinbock, a subsidiary of Jungheinrich, dismissed its 15 German dealers and 34 dealers in other European nations. A Portugese Jungheinrich dealer's legal challenge was thrown out by the Landgericht court and again on appeal to the Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht Hamburg.
Jungheinrich chairman Cletus von Pichler said customers found it easy to switch from the Steinbock and Boss brands. "From us they receive the excellent consulting to which they are accustomed, a product spectrum that leaves no wishes unfulfilled, and outstanding service," he said.
Jungheinrich now has sales and distribution centres in more than 20 European countries, with more being established in Turkey, Greece, Ireland, Singapore and Brazil. Exports outside Europe had more than doubled since 1999, the company said.
Website: http://www.jungheinrich.com
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3. REVITALISED PORT TO BOOST BRAZILIAN TRADE
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PERNAMBUCO, Brazil -- Tecon Suape, SA (TSSA), a subsidiary of Philippine-based International Container Terminal Services, Inc (ICTSI), has begun operating at the 600,000 TEU Port of Suape.
TSSA unloaded 84 containers and loaded 214 containers on Hamburg Sud's MV CAP San Nicolas, using two Krupp quay cranes, two Paceco rubber-tyred gantries, three Fantuzzi Reggiane reach stackers, a Yale forklift, two Fantuzzi side lifters and two Timer spreaders, the company said.
TSSA was formed last June to manage Suape after ICTSI won a 30-year management contract. USD10 million was spent preparing for operations, and facilities were ready in early January.
Suape is at a junction of long-distance shipping routes on the north-eastern tip of Brazil. The Brazilian Government said container trade had suffered due to low service quality and a lack of reliable container handling equipment.
Forecast long-term Brazilian container traffic growth of six and nine percent for imports and exports respectively, would boost containers from 2.35 million TEUs in 2000 to about 3.5 million TEUs in 2005, a government statement said.
Website: http://www.ictsi.com
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4. FORKLIFT OPERATOR'S DEATH WORTH USD925,000
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RICHMOND, USA -- The mother of forklift operator Jeremiah Spritz, 26, who died in an explosion at a plastics recycling plant in October 2000, has settled a wrongful death lawsuit for USD925,000.
Christine Clark, whose son lived with her, sued Blymer Engineers Inc, which designed a ventilation system at the plant where the explosion occurred. Mr Spritz's employer, MBA Polymers, hired Blymer after deciding the plant would start recycling highly combustible toner cartridges.
As reported by Forkliftaction.com News #9, Mr Spritz died from smoke inhalation. The explosion destroyed a third of the plant, and put 75 MBA employees temporarily out of work.
The San Francisco Chronicle said authorities found a build-up of toner dust in the plant's ventilation system helped cause the explosion. Blymer had modified the system a few weeks before the explosion, but that did not fix the problem, the County Superior Court in Oakland was told.
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