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 |  |  | | |  We at Forkliftaction.com would like to pass our sincere condolences to the family of the late Doug Tamasi, founder of Continental Lift Truck, who passed away recently. If you would like to make a donation to The Transplant Centre, see our story for details.
In this issue, we bring you Part 2 of our feature on Heavy Metal: Big Lifts. We trust you will enjoy reading about the current trends in the design and engineering of these large and powerful machines. If you would like to contribute to our news features, please email news@forkliftaction.com to request our editorial calendar. |
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Heavy Metal: Big Lifts - current trends
In Part 1, we saw how a big lift operates in a different environment to a small lift. Big lifts not only have larger load capacities but are heavier machines with bigger components and engines. In this feature, we explore three current trends in the design and engineering of these machines: the use of electronic technology, the simultaneous increase in load capacity and decrease in machine size, and operator comfort. Read more |  |
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Doosan buys Daewoo (DHI) 
SEOUL, Korea, South
Doosan Heavy Industries Inc has acquired a 51 per cent controlling stake in forklift manufacturer Daewoo Heavy Industries & Machinery (DHI) for 1.69 trillion won (USD1.7 billion) (Forkliftaction.com News #192).
Doosan purchased the shares from the government-owned Korea Asset Management Corporation and Korea Development Bank after a protracted bidding process(Forkliftaction.com News #182).
The company announced a new board of 13 directors (two of whom were from the old company) and a new name, Doosan Infracore Co Ltd, following an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting at the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Doosan Heavy Industries chairman Park Yong-sung is now chairman of Doosan Infracore and Doosan Mecatec president Choe Sung-chul is president and CEO.
According to a statement by Doosan Infracore, Doosan paid four times the market value for DHI and has stated its intention to tap the growing overseas demand for Daewoo forklifts, excavators and other earthmoving equipment.
Doosan Infracore and Doosan Heavy Industries president Park Yong-sung said:
"Since this is the first year of Doosan's globalisation, we should not be content with being the best in Korea, but become number one in the global market. Research and development and new facilities investments will be increased and links will be made between Doosan Infracore and Doosan Heavy Industries to boost corporate stature overseas.”
The company has a 58 per cent share of the domestic forklift market in Korea, but 65 per cent of total forklift production is exported to more than 90 countries (40 per cent to Europe).
Forklifts will now be sold in Europe under the Doosan-Daewoo brand, while the domestic market will see the introduction of the sole Doosan name.
Doosan Infracore’s current head office in Yeoeuido, Seoul, will move to the Doosan Tower, at Dongdaemun, Seoul, around the end of May.
Doosan, founded in 1896, made its name producing OB Beer before adding construction, engineering and electronics to its portfolio. Doosan is made up of 20 affiliate companies involved activities ranging from power plant construction, water desalination and diesel engine manufacturing to publishing, shopping malls and professional baseball.
Doosan Infracore's website | |
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New trucks, new era for Doosan Infracore
SEOUL, Korea, South
Doosan Infracore Co Ltd has launched its first products, a new generation of electric-powered forklifts under the brand Doosan-Daewoo.
The new forklifts will be available in six options, B15T, B18T and B20T as 36 volt and 48 volt three-wheel machines and B16X, B18X and B20X as 48 volt four-wheel machines.
Taking five years to develop, the new models are the first batch of the new Pro-5 series. Doosan claims the series is the most advanced trucks it has manufactured since beginning production in the 1960s.
Doosan expects the forklifts to appeal to the European market, which it says is the most advanced forklift market in the world.
Doosan spokesman JY Moon said the company had a strong presence there because of its extensive European dealer networks.
Key features of the new trucks include adjustable power settings, regenerative braking, anti-rollback, active safety control, high visibility masts and oil cooled disc brakes.
Executive managing director DJ Ra said Doosan listened to customer feedback globally before developing the new series.
“We understand that, for instance, regulations are different in different countries, that there is a trend for softer edges and different colours, and that the comfort and appeal of the truck is becoming very important.
“However, our simple practicality and reliability have been singled out, time after time, and we are very proud of the fact that we have been able to incorporate those characteristics into our latest range,” he said.
The new models have gone through more than 20 prototype development stages, including field trials overseas and in Korea and 100,000 hours of component testing.
At the launch of the new forklifts in Nice, in southern France, Ra said the new trucks signalled the start of a new era for the company. | |
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Crown plans to build some smaller models in China
NEW BREMEN, OH, United States
Crown Equipment Corporation plans to build a manufacturing plant in Suzhou, China, and eventually transfer production of several of its smaller models from a plant in Galway, Ireland.
Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province, is about 120 kilometres west of Shanghai.
“To further improve Crown’s ability to compete in the global market and to position ourselves to participate in the rapidly growing Chinese market, we needed to establish a physical presence in China,” Jim Moran, Crown senior vice president, said in a statement.
On May 23, Crown said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government to build the plant in the rapidly developing Suzhou New District, a high-technology industrial development zone about five kilometres west of central Suzhou.
Construction can start after the State Council of China approves Crown’s application for a business licence. Crown did not indicate when approval was anticipated or the physical size or employment requirements for the new facility.
Once the Suzhou site is operational, Crown plans to wind down production at Galway, which has been the firm’s primary manufacturing facility with responsibility for production of Crown’s smaller range of trucks.
Crown said the new Suzhou plant would manufacture and export several smaller models in the firm’s product line.
Crown would also establish a retail operation at the Suzhou site to provide sales and service to the local market and support “the significant number of existing Crown customers with locations in China”.
New Bremen-based Crown did not disclose its China market penetration or its in-country customers’ current or projected volume of Crown units.
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Continental Lift Truck founder dies
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, United States
Douglas W Tamasi, founder of Continental Lift Truck, in Jordan, Minneapolis, died on April 28 in Rancho Mirage, California.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Kay, who is president of Continental Lift Truck, his son, Michael, who is vice president, and a brother, Tom.
Tamasi joined the forklift business in 1969. He was a dealer for Allis Chambers, Douglas Machinery, in Des Moines, Iowa, before founding Continental Lift Truck in 1984.
Today, Continental Lift Truck is one of the largest used forklift wholesalers in the US.
Tamasi fought a battle with renal failure and his family described him as “always cheerful and happy to be on the right side of the grass”.
He was unable to receive a kidney transplant and organ donation was a cause close to his heart.
The Tamasi family suggests donations be made to:
The Transplant Centre,
Roberta Simmons Fund,
516 Delaware Street SE,
Box 482, Room 2-200,
Minneapolis, MN, 55455
The Intestinal Transplant Registry | |
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JLG telehandler sales up 42.5% in quarter
McCONNELLSBURG, PA, United States
Access equipment manufacturer JLG Industries Inc reported rapid growth in its telehandler business with sales up 42.5 per cent in the quarter ended May 1, compared with the same quarter last year.
Quarterly telehandler sales were USD141.7 million, compared with USD99.4 million for the 2004 quarter.
McConnellsburg-based JLG has made progress integrating OmniQuip’s Sky Trak and Lull telehandler lines with the existing JLG and Gradall brands of telehandlers.
JLG chief executive Bill Lasky said the corporation achieved financial gains during the quarter through pricing actions taken in early 2005, benefits of the OmniQuip acquisition, Six Sigma initiatives and productivity improvements. (Forkliftaction.com News #115)
“The order board has more than doubled sequentially to USD665 million with delivery dates extending well into our 2006 fiscal year,” Lasky said.
“Fleet age, rental and utilisation rates for our type of equipment continue to drive demand in most geographic regions and product lines,” said JLG chief financial officer Jim Woodward.
“Rental companies are continuing their strong pace of equipment refreshment propelled by some of the highest utilisation rates they have seen since the last cycle peak in 2000.”
Based on historical patterns, JLG anticipates moving into an expansion phase in the near to mid-term from the recent strong cyclical recovery.
Woodward said economic conditions in JLG’s “principal markets and higher construction spending continue to drive demand”.
Company-wide, sales increased 58.6 per cent in the quarter to May 1. JLG reported profit of USD22.7 million on sales of USD505.4 million for the quarter, conpared with profit of USD8.7 million on sales of USD318.7 million for the same 2004 quarter.
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Welfaux wins breadmaker contract
CORNWALL, United Kingdom
Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer Welfaux Ltd has won a contract to supply 29 forklifts to UK bread-maker Allied Bakeries.
Allied Bakeries has around 1,200 forklifts nationwide, delivers bread with brands like Kingsmill, Allinson, Sunblest and Burgen to several thousand shops daily and has 20 producing sites across the United Kingdom.
Its major customers are all the UK’s large supermarket chains, with Tesco being the biggest.
Allied’s southern purchasing manager Job Berry said his company worked its forklifts “pretty hard”.
“They have to work up to 90 hours a week in some cases. So, above all, we need trucks that are robust and reliable,” Berry said.
Welfaux sold Allied 24 N-series LP gas counterbalanced trucks, fitted with special bread clamps, two FB18KT 48V electric counterbalanced trucks and three RB14 & 16 K series reach trucks.
Welfaux director Mike Chalmers said the clamps were not manufactured by Mitsubishi but by a specialist attachment manufacturer.
“They are basically a carton clamp, modified to handle bread baskets. These are handled in stacks which are two baskets wide x two deep x 10 high, a total of 40 baskets, each containing 10 loaves,” Chalmers said.
The forklifts had to meet strict environmental controls and targets as they were handling food.
“Forklift tyres produce a lot of fine, black powder under normal operating conditions. We have combated this by fitting what are known as non-marking tyres. These are tyres without the black content, which appear milky white and do not give off the powder.
“Also, the Mitsubishi LP gas trucks are fitted with a clean, lean-burn engine, which also has a three-way catalytic converter attached to burn off any remaining particles and toxins,” Chalmers said.
Welfaux, established in 1986, is the main Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer for the Thames Valley, west London, and parts of the Home Counties. | |
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ADVERTISEMENT
Stolen equipment from Decatur office
Early Friday May 6, 2005, Lift Atlanta had the following equipment stolen from its Decatur office:
- 1999 International Tractor, white with blue Lift Atlanta logo on doors
- 1999 Landoll Trailer, white with black LIFT ATLANTA on the side
- Linde H30D-03 forklift s/n: H2X351M0678530
- Linde H50D forklift s/n: H2X394R00966
Please contact:
Mark M. Milovich
President
Lift Atlanta, Inc
+1 (770) 987-3200 |  |
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Movers & Shakers
John Sneddon, former managing director of Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corporation, has been named president of Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corporation and Multiton MIC Corporation. Sneddon replaces Dirk von Holt as Jungheinrich president.
Raymond CEO and president Jim Malvaso has replaced Dirk von Holt as president of ITA.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas has appointed Paul Gaines as managing director. He comes to Trelleborg from Dana Corporation Off Highway Group, where he most recently was vice president and general manager for the Spicer Off Highway Products Division.
Charles O Wood III has retired from JLG Industries Inc’s board of directors after nearly 17 years. With Wood’s retirement, the board will be reduced to nine members.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has elected Rob Kolb, vice president of marketing for the Americas region for WestfaliaSurge Inc, Naperville, Illinois, to the board of directors. Since 2000, Kolb has had overall US marketing responsibilities for Westfalia Surge and, in 2004, took on marketing duties for Latin America. | |
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Forklift and operator plunge off barge
VANCOUVER, Canada
A man and his forklift plunged off a barge into the frigid waters of Vancouver’s Port while unloading material off a cruise ship last weekend.
The Canadian Press reported Curtis De Coste, who is in his early 20s, was knocked unconscious after suffering a head injury during the mid-morning accident.
Several people from nearby boats pulled the bleeding man from the water next to Ballantyne Pier.
De Coste was taken to Vancouver General Hospital’s emergency room. The forklift sank.
A spokeswoman said the Workers’ Compensation Board was investigating the accident.
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FORK TALK – 2005 OUTSTANDING MATERIALS HANDLING CONTENT AWARD
CHARLOTTE, NC, United States
The College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) and the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) will recognise excellence in materials handling content published in the last two years (January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2004).
They are seeking nominations from materials handling suppliers, consultants, the trade press and others in the industry.
Nominations require an electronic copy of the submission and a one-page summary giving reasons for the nomination by May 31, 2005, to Mike Ogle.
The submission, which needs to be in English, should include specific statements of how the nomination meets the criteria below. Each organisation is limited to five nominations.
• Content requested
Materials handling content includes feature articles, white papers, case histories and educational web documents distributed to the materials handling community. The judges will focus on materials handling in manufacturing, distributing, warehousing and logistics, ranging from the applying individual technologies to improving entire operations.
Individual feature articles or a series of articles are suitable. Magazines may not nominate entire issues. The judges will focus on in-depth content and are not interested in news stories, new product announcements, company notices and similar items. Books are not eligible. Web documents may include web pages, downloadable PDF files, presentations, interactive tools and innovative ways of presenting educational materials handling content on a website.
• Judging and recognition
Submissions are judged on their educational value to the practice of materials handling, clarity of presentation and contribution to the advancement of the materials handling industry.
A committee of industrial and academic evaluators associated with the Material Handling Industry of America will select the outstanding articles. Top articles will be recognised, with the winning article’s author (or company representative) invited to attend the 2005 MHIA annual meeting to accept the award.
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1. Meclift Variable Reach Trucks & Side Reach Stackers
Meclift Variable Reach Trucks can be driven into standard containers, and their reach feature enables them to operate in conditions that would be impossible for straight-mast trucks.
The Side Reach Stacker handles and carries freight containers and other loads in a longitudinal direction and can lift a container, two coupled containers or heavy loads on its frame, move the load at a speed of 30 km/h, as well as unload and stack containers up to four high.
Meclift Ltd is looking for agents worldwide.
Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. | |
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2. Best Option for Forklift Financing
De Lage Landen Financial Services, headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania U.S.A., is the best option for fast, easy and affordable forklift financing and leasing.
What makes De Lage Landen the best? “Forklift financing and leasing is our core business.” We have expertise in closely partnering with and adding value to forklift manufacturers, dealers and users” said Rod Versteegh, vice president and general manager of De Lage Landen’s Materials Handling division.
Go to De Lage Landen's website:http://www.delagelanden.com/.
Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. | |
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| Tenders | 1. 3000 lb. Capacity, Sit Down Counter Balance Forklift
Missoula, MT, United States
Closing: 01 June 2005
Contract: AG-0345-S-05-9003
2. MHE system including tow tractors
New Cumberland, PA, United States
Closing: 05 June 2005
Contract: SP3100-05-R-0016
3. Purchase nine (9) container sidelifters
Selma, AL,, United States
Closing: 14 June 2005
Contract: HSFE04-05-RQ-4787
4. Rough terrain vertical mast forklift - 10,000lb
White Sands Missile Range, NM, United States
Closing: 31 May 2005
Contract: W9124Q-W81C39-5066-0111A
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| Jobs | 1. Customer Service-Rental Coordinator - Full time
Miami, United States
2. Service Manager Prep Assistant - Full time
Miami, United States
3. SHOP TECHNICIAN - Full time
Miami, United States
4. Road Technician - Full time
Miami, Florida, United States
5. PARTS MANAGER - Full time
MOBILE, United States
6. Parts Department Counter Sales - Full time
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
7. Mechanics - Full time
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
8. Sales People - Full time
Indianapolis, IN, United States
9. SERVICE MANAGER - Full time
MIAMI, United States
FORKLIFTACTION.COM
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