The Indian forklift industry

The populous Asian nation has traditionally used manpower to lift heavy loads and logistics is still a new concept. But things are changing. The country has opened its market to multinationals and international forklift brands. There is a move towards mechanisation and Indian forklift businesses are excited about what that means for the industry. Christine Liew reports.  Read more

Forklift rental group boosts US presence
SURREY, United Kingdom

Ashtead Group plc has acquired Northridge Equipment Services Inc from the Groff family, through its US subsidiary Sunbelt Rentals, for USD69.6 million.

JCB reception marks 60th birthday
ROCESTER, United Kingdom

JCB’s diamond jubilee culminated in a reception last week attended by 60 former and current employees, one for each year of JCB’s existence.

More than half UK companies hit on margins
STOCKTON, United Kingdom

A study has found 29 per cent of the UK’s top 520 forklift companies are selling at a loss and nearly 60 per cent have falling margins.

Autumn whispers from CeMAT 2005, Hannover
HANNOVER, Germany

by the Forkliftaction.com team

Hannover city pulled out all stops and offered Forkliftaction.com’s team exceptional autumn weather during CeMAT 2005.

The team stayed in the Oststadt-List area of Hannover, an elegant residential suburb with great shopping, pubs, restaurants and the unique Eilenriede forest, a “city forest” named Hannover’s “green lung”, covering 650 hectares in the middle of the city. The picturesque 9th century town of Hameln, home to the Pied Piper legend, is a short train ride.

Deutsche Messe AG’s exhibition grounds, where CeMAT was held, were 20 minutes away, via Deutsche Bahn AG’s efficient U-Bahn train. Fortunately, Germans speak good English and were excellent hosts. At times meal sizes were rather generous portions, about double our regular meal intake.    

CeMAT this year was smaller because it had been separated from Hannover Messe and rebranded as a stand-alone event for the intralogistics sector. Feedback the team received was that the quality of visitors to the show was high and diverse, with many stands welcoming international visitors.

“Such trade fairs, with qualitatively high-minded visitors, will undoubtedly gain even more success in the future,” said Dirk Cardoen, Germany area sales manager for TVH. “In the current age of e-business, such an exhibition is an excellent meeting place for business-to-business purposes.”

Marketplace notes

The number and the quality of enquiries related to Marketplace listings is growing steadily. The enquiries confirm a solid interest in the listed machines and the sincere will to purchase a machine.

British firm fined for safety breaches
BRISTOL, United Kingdom

A British carpet company has been fined after several health and safety breaches, including pedestrians being hit by forklifts in the warehouse.

Intrupa opens distribution facility in Singapore

On October 3, 2005 INTRUPA opened its newest full-service sales and distribution facility, INTRUPA Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, in Singapore. Headed by Managing Director, Teo Luan Goon, INTRUPA is now strategically located to meet material handling parts, accessories, and information services needs of customers throughout the Asia Pacific region including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

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Curtis Instruments Inc. announces partnership with Flight Systems Industrial Products

Curtis Instruments Inc. announces the formation of a partnership with Flight Systems Industrial Products ("FSIP").  Curtis Instruments Inc. is a world leader in developing and manufacturing controls and instrumentation for the global electric and non-automotive vehicle market.  Flight Systems Industrial Products remanufactures and repairs electric controllers and parts used in electric vehicle control systems.

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SMH opens Indiana distribution center

Due to continued growth and an ongoing effort to improve service to customers, SMH has opened a distribution facility located in South Bend, Indiana. An existing 32,000 sq. ft. building has been leased near the South Bend airport, close to the UPS and Federal Express terminals.  Research indicated SMH could reach a larger share of the market in one day using ground service from South Bend...

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Award promotes theft prevention initiatives
NEW YORK, NY, United States

An award to recognise stolen equipment prevention and recovery efforts will be presented at the Rental Show, in Orlando, in February next year.

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