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 | It's not long until the end of 2005. We are already anticipating 2006 to be a busy and eventful year for the industry! For a preview of what's coming next year, take a look at Forkliftaction.com News's 2006 editorial calendar:
| Jan | Explosion proof forklifts | | Feb | Forklifts in the logging and timber industry | | Mar | Industrial batteries and chargers | | Apr | The forklift market in China | | May | Reach stackers | | Jun | Forklift tyres, wheels and castors | | Jul | The German forklift industry | | Aug | Container attachments | | Sep | Truck mounted forklifts | | Oct | Engines and drive trains | | Nov | The forklift market in Canada | | Dec | End of year review |
Email info@forkliftaction.com for more information.
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Yale begins transition; Lilly litigation continues
MEMPHIS, TN, United StatesEquipment manufacturer Yale Materials Handling Corp (YMHC) is endeavouring to take control of its mid-south regional distribution while acrimonious two-year-old legal battles with dealer Lilly Co continue in two federal courts ( Forkliftaction.com News #185).
Currently in Tennessee, Yale holds Memphis and Lilly retains Nashville.
“Yale is engaged in an orderly transition plan” for both markets, the Greenville, North Carolina-based company said in a news release. Because of the pending litigation, Yale declined a request for more plan details.
An October 17 legal opinion opened the Memphis area for YMHC. Judge JD Breen, of US District Court in Memphis, denied a preliminary injunction through which Lilly sought to prevent Yale from scuttling a dealer agreement for marketing territory comprising portions of Tennessee (in the Memphis and Jackson areas), Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi.
As a result, Yale does not consider Lilly its authorised dealer in that territory, commonly referred to as the Memphis area.
But Lilly won’t quit. Lilly attorneys filed a motion and an appeal in early November to overturn the opinion pending completion of legal processes, including those taking place before a US Court of Appeals.
In the same order, pending trial, Judge Breen ordered perpetuation of a separate dealer agreement under which Lilly continues to represent Yale in the Nashville market.
YMHC anticipates capturing Nashville too. “Although Judge Breen also determined that breaches by the Lilly Co of the commercial honesty and good faith provisions of the dealer marketing agreement would likely cause the Lilly Co not to prevail in its attempt to require that Yale renew the marketing agreement for the Nashville, Tennessee, marketing territory, the court ordered that agreement to continue pending trial,” YMHC said.
Yale’s relationship with Memphis-based Lilly started more than 50 years ago but soured when Lilly sister company Mid-South Lift Trucks Inc (MLTI), a separate corporation formed in August 2003 in Memphis, began representing Yale competitor Toyota Material Handling USA (TMHU) in September 2003 ( Forkliftaction.com News #124).
Currently, MLTI represents TMHU, of Irvine, California, as an authorised dealer. As an MLTI sales agent, Lilly markets TMHU products in the Memphis territory and throughout Mississippi. | MHI buys two new locations 
DALTON, GA, United StatesGeorgia-based forklift dealer Material Handling Inc (MHI) is expanding its sales and service coverage through buying two previously Jefferds Corporation-operated locations.
Jefferds Corporation has sold its Nashville, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, locations to MHI, Dalton, Georgia, for an undisclosed sum. MHI already has branches serving Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Gainesville, Georgia.
The acquisition will expand sales and service throughout middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
“We are very excited about incorporating the Nashville and Bowling Green locations
into the MHI family,” MHI president Patrick Sain said. “It will be a good fit of products with our existing equipment lines and fields of expertise.”
MHI is a family-owned company founded by Amar Sain. He purchased the first locations in Dalton and Gainesville, Georgia, in 1975. The company grew in 1985 with the addition of the Chattanooga location. It now has more than 120 employees. Amar’s sons are involved in the business; Patrick Sain as president and Michael Sain as vice president.
The company offers a complete range of forklifts through brands including Clark, Linde, Komatsu and Prime-Mover.
Other equipment lines include Princeton truck-mounted forklifts, Combilift four-way machines for long load hauling, Drexel and Bendi very narrow aisle trucks, Cascade attachments, Cushman and Columbia Par-Car personnel and burden carrier vehicles and McGuire dock equipment. | Komatsu expects 70% boost
TOKYO, JapanDespite rising steel costs, Komatsu Ltd has announced a 72.6 per cent jump in operating profit for the six months ending September 20, 2005.
The company said in an interim financial report that consolidated net sales for the six months increased 18.4 per cent to JPY809.7 billion (USD6.8 billion). Komatsu’s construction and mining equipment business boosted sales in all major world regions while domestic and overseas demand for forklifts and industrial machinery caused sales in that segment to rise too.
Operating profit increased 72.6 per cent to JPY79.6 billion (USD670.3 million) from last year’s corresponding period. Komatsu said while costs increased because of rising steel costs, the company increased its operating profit because it undertook measures to cut production costs and increase sale prices.
Improved sales in the company’s business segments also contributed to the higher operating profit. Consolidated net sales of industrial machinery, vehicles and other products for the interim period were JPY140.5 billion (USD1.18 billion), up 14.1 per cent from last year’s corresponding period.
Komatsu Forklift Co Ltd’s sales increased because it capitalised on an increase in domestic and overseas demand and worked aggressively to expand sales of its mainstay LEO-NXT-V engine-driven series, the report said.
The company forecast a 70 per cent boost in net income for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006. | Material Handling Business Wanted – Chicago Illinois We are interested to expand activities and take an equity position or outright purchase for an established material handling operation in the greater Chicago, IL market.
Prefer business operation focused in the sale, service and rentals of material handling equipment with an emphasis on forklifts. Owner searching for a mature operation with documented profitability and a commitment from senior staff to continue in their existing positions.
Please email a brief description of your business including earnings and your purchasing requirements for consideration to materialhandlingbusiness@comcast.net and the principal will contact you directly in return. |
| Growth spurs expansion
CAROL STREAM, IL, United StatesAssociated Material Handling Industries, a Raymond distributor based in Illinois, is boosting its Indiana presence with a new warehouse facility in Marion County.
The 30,000 square foot (2,787 square metre) warehouse, to be built in the Ameriplex Business Centre at 5905 Decatur Boulevard, is expected to be completed by June 2006.
At last week’s groundbreaking ceremony, Associated Material Handling president Mike Romano attributed the company’s success to the commitment and efforts of its employees.
“It is in recognition of their commitment and hard work that we dedicate this building to them,” he said.
Company vice president David LeMaster said the company’s growth had resulted in the need for a bigger facility.
“We’ve literally grown out of the current building and will move into the new facility, double the size of our current facility on 1230 Brookville Way,” LeMaster said.
“Associated in Indiana has expanded its revenue more than 25 per cent over the past two years and shipped more than 65 per cent more Class I, II and III units in 2005 than were shipped in 2003.
“In concert with this growth, Associated has announced plans to expand our capabilities into the storage and systems markets as well. As a result, a larger facility was needed to address our recent and expected future success,” he said.
Associated Material Handling, in Carol Stream, Illinois, is the headquarters of Associated-Allied, which has several branches in Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota. It is a dealer for Raymond narrow aisle forklifts, counterbalanced forklifts and walkie stackers. | Middle East port buys 23 empty container handlers
STOCKHOLM, SwedenMiddle-eastern port operator DP World has invested in 23 Kalmar empty container handlers (ECHs) for its Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Port facilities.
The ECHs capable of stacking eight foot (2.44 metre) six inch (15.2 centimetre) containers eight high is in addition to more than 50 ECHs delivered to DP World in the past four years.
DP World has been a long-time Kalmar customer, taking delivery of five to 10 units annually. Delivery of the current order will be completed by early 2006.
DP World’s history with Kalmar includes operating more than 40 Kalmar staddler carriers at Port Rashid. At Jeddah and Djibouti ports, DP World operates Kalmar rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and at Jebel Ali, it has retrofitted dozens of RTGs with Kalmar’s patented Smartrail autosteering and container position verification system.
Jebel Ali, 25km south of Dubai, is the largest duty free port in the Middle East.
In 2004, Dubai Ports, consisting of Jebel Ali Port and Port Rashid, reported a 20 per cent growth in container traffic, making them the 10th busiest container ports in the world with a total of 6.42 million TEUs handled. |
| Large (used) tyre handler attachment wanted • Forklift and attachment preferred
• Will consider attachment only
• Must be able to handle 40.00 – R57 tyres
• Typical tyre used on Caterpillar rigid dump truck model 793C
• Opening range would be approx 3600mm
• Any age and location considered
Please send your offer to equipment@forkliftaction.com and we will send details on to our customer.
| A new generation for Meyer
SALZGITTER, GermanyHans H Meyer GMBH has just released a new generation of continuous rotating paper clamps, generation F rotating swing arm clamps.
The new generation of paper clamps is different because improved kinematics for higher clamp force on lower pressure levels allow fine adjustment of clamp force and pressure for different roll diameters and paper types, Meyer’s sales & marketing director Thomas Auringer said.
“The new generation F paper roll clamps feature a more modular design for easier stock holding of parts. A new cylinder design includes pressure checkpoints and cartridge-type check valves, which hold pressure in the cylinders only when clamping.
“The rest of the hydraulics in the attachment is pressure-free,” he said.
Swing arm clamps combine long and short arms to pick up rolls in the horizontal or vertical position. Split pads allow clamping of different diameters at the same time, a Meyer statement said.
The clamps can be used to handle paper from the manufacturer through to printing and paper converting companies, along the transport chain.
Smaller roll diameters typical in print companies can be picked up using the clamp’s short (bottom) arm, positioned to achieve a smaller clamp opening.
Meyer’s 360-degree continuous rotate drive allows sensitive positioning on the clamps to avoid paper damage. |
| Port of Brisbane continues growth
BRISBANE, AustraliaThe Port of Brisbane Corporation continues its growth with a record 26 million tonnes traded for 2004-05 and total revenue up almost 20 per cent to AUD140.9 million (USD104.0 million).
Corporation chief executive Jeff Coleman said strong growth in revenue was mainly due to a AUD7.7 million (USD5.7 million) increase in trade revenue, growth in rental income of AUD1.2 million (USD885,961) and a AUD5.4 million (USD4.0 million) increase in returns associated with its investment in Brisbane Airport Corporation Holdings.
Brisbane's share of the east coast container trade market increased for the 10th consecutive year, reaching 18.1 per cent compared with 17.6 per cent in 2003-04.
“Container trade rose 13.5 per cent to reach 726,145 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units),” Coleman said.
Imported motor vehicle trade increased 13.2 per cent, or a total of 180,072 vehicles.
Coleman said Brisbane’s market share of east coast car imports increased 1.7 per cent to 26.3 per cent in 2004-05.
Total imports were up 536,263 tonnes or 3.8 per cent on 2003-04. Imports of cement and other building-related products, such as timber and steel, accounted for nearly half the growth.
Exports increased 402,287 tonnes or 3.7 per cent.
“Exports of chemicals, fertilisers, cereals, cotton and cottonseed rose significantly during the year. This is due largely to the agricultural industry's partial recovery from drought,” Coleman said.
A key challenge for the corporation in 2006 would be to meet infrastructure demand to keep pace with booming trade and steady demand for land.
He said 2005-06 would be one of the most significant years in the port’s history, with strong growth in container traffic, and similar trends in general cargo and motor-vehicle trade driving the port's ongoing expansion.
“The construction of a 10th wharf is due to begin in early 2006. Works associated with the relocation of key port facilities from Hamilton are expected to be completed within the next 12 months,” Coleman said. | | Forklift driver's near Idol miss
BRISBANE, AustraliaA Brisbane forklift driver narrowly missed winning the Australian Idol singing competition with a one per cent vote separating her from winner Kate DeAraugo minutes before voting phone lines closed.
Emily Williams, 20, a single mother and former forklift driver, was widely thought to win the televised competition. Australian bookmaker Centrebet consistently rated her as the favourite.
Williams was the contestant who received most of competition judge Mark Holden’s signature “touchdowns”, his personal thumbs up for outstanding performances.
As the Australian Idol, DeAraugo won a recording contract with Sony BMG and a new Mazda MX5 but Williams is expected to be approached for a future recording contract.
More than 25,000 Idol hopefuls across Australia auditioned for the show, which is a franchise of the successful UK Pop Idol, created by Simon Fuller. |
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| Tenders | 1. Electric ForkliftsTravis AFB, CA, United States Closing: 28 November 2005 Contract: FM442752730422 2. Tow tractorCorpus Christi, TX, United States Closing: 20 December 2005 Contract: W912NW-06-T-0007 |
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