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Dear reader, WELCOME TO FORKLIFTACTION.COM, MATERIALS HANDLING ONLINE. This is issue #260 - 18 May 2006 of the weekly newsletter for industry professionals. |
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 “JCB lands record-breaking Loadall order!” |
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Reach stackers India and China are big markets for materials handling equipment. Their sheer size pose challenges for foreign companies that want a share of the rapidly growing reach stacker market. Forkliftaction.com News reporter Christine Liew speaks to three European reach stacker manufacturers about their business activities in East Asia. Read more 
Ageing forklift workforce a problem  ALTON, United Kingdom The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) has released a dedicated website and an attractive brochure as part of a collaboration with a UK college to make forklift engineering appealing to career-opting teenagers. FLTA chief David Ellison said the ageing UK forklift engineering workforce was a serious problem for the industry. “I urge all employers to count how many of their engineers are in their 40s and 50s and take steps today to ensure there are enough trainees coming through to fill that gap.” In March, the FLTA said it was working with the City of Bristol College to introduce forklift engineering apprenticeship courses by September (Forkliftaction.com News #253). The program is managed on FLTA’s behalf by the college, which runs similar schemes for Porsche, British Telecom and Royal Mail. Through a three-year course, apprentices earn a wage as they assist engineers and attend four two-week blocks of college training annually. The apprentices take on full duties at the end of the course. Tony Wallis, managing director of Toyota Industrial Equipment’s (TIE) only UK regional distributor, TIE (Northern) Ltd, said he was encouraged by the FLTA initiative. “The average age of our team and other forklift businesses appears to be in the 35-to-45-year age group. This indicates that, with low apprentice intakes over recent years and maturing engineers, the problem will only increase.” Wallis said the shortage of engineers created “substantial costs” for businesses as companies competed to recruit from a dwindling pool of talent. However TIE (Northern) Ltd was doing its part to combat the problem. “We use facilities at Hinckley which will be affiliated to the Bristol scheme. Over the last three years, we have actively promoted apprenticeships and young person schemes with eight of our team now on various programs. “We introduced a lump-sum payment scheme for apprentice engineers that matures when they are 23. This is substantial enough to retain them and encourage loyalty after they have completed their training,” he said. Wallis said the biggest challenge was ensuring young people could enter the industry and identify long-term career opportunities. The FLTA is aware of that and is presenting forklift engineering as an exciting, rewarding career. A full-colour, snazzy brochure, targeted at 16-to-19 year olds, compares forklift and automotive engineering. “Once trained as a forklift engineer, you will be an expert in electrical and hydraulic systems, diesel and gas powered engines and much more. Like today’s automotive industry, it’s no longer spanners and oily rags either. Forklift engineers regularly use laptop or palmtop computers to diagnose problems or fine-tune forklift truck performance. “[But,] unlike a car, most forklift servicing is done on-site, which means engineers typically spend much of their day on the road taking a mobile workshop to the customer.” Ellison said the FLTA would assist companies seeking apprentices. “Our research shows home-grown recruits tend to give many more years of service than expensive, ready-trained staff poached from another employer,” he said. The City of Bristol College will oversee administration of the program, including recruitment, funding, assessments, learning support and pastoral care. The apprentices’ workplace learning is monitored by the college’s national network of field-based assessors, supported by residential training at various locations. To download a brochure or application form for the program, go to www.forktruckapprentice.org.uk.   After 56 years, Industrial Truck Sales shuts down GREENSBORO, NC, United States by US correspondent Roger Renstrom Long-time US forklift dealer Industrial Truck Sales & Service Inc has ceased operations and is “in the process of going out of business”, says owner Denny Boyce. His father, George W Boyce, founded the North Carolina business in 1950. “Have you heard of ‘The Perfect Storm’?” Denny Boyce asked, referring to the 2000 movie. “That explains how things went” for Industrial Truck in recent years. (In the movie, an unusually intense storm pattern catches some commercial fishermen unaware, putting them in mortal danger.) Boyce said 1999 was Industrial Truck’s best year. “We had USD42 million in sales and 320 employees.” Then the firm’s principal forklift supplier, Clark Material Handling Company, went bankrupt, and previously dominant furniture and textile industries “deteriorated, especially in North Carolina”, Boyce said. Clark has continued as Industrial Truck’s main forklift supplier. Until now, Industrial Truck employed 120 people and operated North Carolina facilities in Greensboro, Charlotte, Elm City and Wilmington for sales and leasing of new and used materials handling equipment and parts and maintenance services. The firm handled allied equipment, such as racks and lifts. “The lawyers are in it” now, Boyce said. There was a possibility another forklift dealer may “take over the company” assets. However the named dealer told Forkliftaction.com News he had no interest in Industrial Truck or its market. In addition to the Clark line, Industrial Truck represented Linde Material Handling North America in the eastern part of North Carolina and had business relationships with other forklift and equipment brands, including Daewoo, Drexel, Big Joe, B&P, Capacity, Mastercraft, Ridg-U-Rak, Atlet, JLG and Prime Mover. Industrial Truck is “a company with a long, honourable history and big troubles”, said Les Holbert, Industrial Truck CEO. www.industrialtruck.com JCB receives largest Loadall order ever ROCESTER, United Kingdom A UK plant hire firm has given JCB its largest Loadall range order. Fork Rent, a national plant hire service established in 1968, has ordered 1,000 JCB Loadall telescopic handlers and backhoe loaders for the company’s fleet. The huge order, which will be manufactured at JCB’s Rocester plant, reflected the growth of Fork Rent’s business, Fork Rent chairman Trudi Nicholls said. “Through this huge deal, customers are ensured more for their money with a flexible choice of best equipment and access to JCB’s nationwide dealers for rapid service.” Nicholls said all Fork Rent’s machines were less than two years old and telehandlers were replaced after 14 months. JCB sales executive director Francoise Rausch said the order was a “tremendous endorsement of JCB’s latest products” and Fork Rent’s wide user base and experience gave JCB engineers invaluable feedback. JCB would not disclose the value of the order. Fork Rent, of Ipswich, in Suffolk county, has been a JCB customer for 20 years. Its product range consists of telehandlers, backhoe loaders and construction equipment.   Showcase your product to +72,000 readers for USD330! Forkliftaction.com News is digested by +72,000 readers, industry professionals active in the materials handling industry. Is your product a must for the forklift operator, fleet manager, dealer or manufacturer? Then this is the place to introduce your product, whether it is a forklift, an attachment, component or accessory. View our current advertisers in the column “Product Watch” lower in this newsletter. For USD330 your product can be featured in this column, with a photo, a product description and your contact details. Your product remains featured on our website: click here to view the Product Watch advertisements in our web portal. Order now for an insert in next week’s newsletter! Write to marketing@forkliftaction.com Phone: +61 7 3369 9090 OR Fax: +61 7 3369 9096 Grammer implements double strategy for China AMBERG, Germany Global forklift seat manufacturer Grammer has underscored the importance of the Chinese market by opening a plant in Tianjin this month. The factory, which has floor space of more than 10,000 square metres, will produce and assemble 13 seat types for off-road vehicles, trucks, buses, coaches, and trains. The Amberg-headquartered company is pursuing a “double strategy” in China. Its Chinese plant will supply seats for the local construction machinery market. Grammer will also target Japanese and Korean construction machine makers manufacturing in China for the global market. There will be 225 new employees in Tianjin; 130 for Grammer’s seating systems division and 95 for its automotive division. The Grammer group has produced suspension seats for agricultural machines and forklifts since 1954. Grammer’s seating systems division comprises four business areas, forklifts; off-road (tractors and construction machines); trucks, buses and coaches; and railways.  Three Nissan dealers gain double awards MARENGO, IL, United States Nissan Forklift Corp North America (NFCNA) has announced recipients of its 2005 award programs. Each year, NFCNA presents dealer of excellence awards (known as Nissan Nine awards) to reward outstanding sales performance, dealer service excellence awards to reward good aftermarket service and a president’s award to recognise an exceptional dealer. Three Nissan dealers received both dealer of excellence and dealer service excellence awards. They were Equipment Inc, of Jackson, Mississippi; M&L Industries Inc, of Houma, Louisiana; and Handling Systems, of Phoenix, Arizona. M&L Industries received the prestigious president’s award for reaching the “highest tier of success in equipment sales, parts sales and service excellence”. M&L has been a Nissan forklift dealer since 1973. It has branch offices in Broussard, Baton Rouge and Metairie, Louisiana. It had been recognised as a Nissan Nine award winner in the past and received service excellence awards in nine of the past 11 years. NCFNA also presents dealer of excellence awards to a Canadian and Central/South American dealer each year. The Canadian recipient was JH Ryder Machinery Ltd, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Cidef SA, of Santiago, Chile, was the South American winner. For full lists of award winners, go to www.nissanforklift.com/news.aspx. Briefs New IC truck from Jungheinrich HAMBURG, Germany Jungheinrich has introduced the DFG/TFG 316-320 internal combustion counterbalanced truck for the European market. Manufactured at the Moosburg factory, in Germany, the new series, which has load capacities ranging from 1.6 tons to 2.0 tons, replaces the series 3 internal combustion trucks. A Jungheinrich spokesperson said the new series was “more powerful, more reliable and offers more comfort to the driver” compared to the old series. TVH Oz now has batteries QLD, Australia TVH Australia is including forklift batteries in its range of spare parts through a partnership with Century Yuasa Batteries Pty Ltd. The partnership sees TVH Australia exclusively distribute Maxx batteries for forklifts. The battery range is assembled in Australia and backed by a one-year warranty.  Movers & Shakers PODENZANO, Italy Bolzoni Auramo Group has appointed Günter Onkelbach key account manager for German OEMs. Onkelbach has 15 years’ experience in the attachment industry and has worked for a former Bolzoni dealer in Germany. FARMINGTON HILLS, MI, United States Gloria Lara has been appointed Jervis B Webb Company’s project management vice president. She will oversee project management for Jervis B Webb’s Canadian and US operations. Before founding her own consultancy business, The Lara Group LLC, Lara had automotive management experience with Chrysler Corp. PORTLAND, OR, United States Cascade Corp has promoted Kevin Kreiter to corporate vice president of engineering. Kreiter joined Cascade in 1979 as design engineer and his most recent position was corporate director of engineering. He is an active member of the Industrial Truck Association. SYDNEY, Australia Ian Neilson has been appointed managing director of Nacco Material Handling Group Asia Pacific (NMHG A-P) Wholesale, effective from July 1. Neilson was involved in establishing NMHG’s manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China. Returning to Australia, he led NMHG A-P’s big truck business team. Search 9002 listings in the MarketplaceSample of used equipment for sale:
and thousands more... Click here to include your used forklifts, stackers, telehandlers, container handlers, attachments etc. Forklift battery’s rotten egg smell evacuates plant NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada A forklift battery that kept charging after it was fully charged caused a Canadian plant to be evacuated this month. Workers next to EM Plastics, in St John’s, Newfoundland, noticed a rotten egg smell and notified the fire department, the Canadian Occupational Health & Safety News reported. St John’s Fire Department superintendent Don Barnes said the hydrogen level in the plant was found to be 4,200 parts per million (ppm), 10 per cent of Canada’s lower explosive limit for hydrogen (41,000ppm). An Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) spokesperson said the battery overheated and produced excess gases. The cause of the malfunction was being investigated. The OHS ordered EM Plastics to buy a new battery and charger, and develop safe work procedures for battery charging. Used Forklift Trade Clearance Hyster H16.00 XL2 3 identical units: + 16,000 KG (35,200 lbs) capacity + 2001 year - Diesel - A/C Cabins + 3750 mm (12’3”) lift - 2460 mm (8’) carriage + Twin coil probe - Side shift carriage + FP + Puncture proof (solid) tyres + 7900 to 9700 hours - Very clean and well maintained! Price for 3 units: US $235,500 ex-port Australia. Price for single unit on application. Shipping can be arranged. Please forward your enquiry to us at equip@forkliftaction.com and we will forward your enquiry on to our customer.  Send this newsletter to an associate
Innovative, Quick, and Simple- No press needed to mount Continental new CSEasy Continental's CSEasy industrial tire made its world debut at CeMAT, Hannover, in May last year. This novel wheel / tire system does not require a mounting press. CSEasy – the name says it all. Dealing with this solid-rubber tire is simple. The wheel / tire system which has an adapter between the tire and rim renders the mounting press redundant! Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. Reachstacker Revolution With the introduction of the individual wheel drive Liebherr presents its latest innovation to the reachstacker world. Based on the highly acclaimed hydrostatic transmission, such revolutionary feature offers outstanding opportunities like a minimizing of side forces on the steering wheels and a more effective driving gear. In 2004 Liebherr brought its own reachstacker to the market which immediately caught both container terminal operators as well as drivers by several unique features like a curve-shaped telescopic boom and a fully hydrostatic transmission. Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. Easyramps goes Galvanized Easyramps, the container loading ramp Specialist Company have announced the launch of an exciting new model. After establishing a leading position in the ramp market within the United Kingdom and Europe Easyramps, boosted by the announcement of their 120th unit sale over the past 18-months of production, have responded to very strong market requirements for a container loading ramp with Galvanized Mesh. Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. 
The WSS “DRIVER ID” could save your employees from serious injury or death Click here for more information on this product, including pictures. Introducing Wheelsafe loose wheelnut indicators Click here for more information on this product, including pictures. Product: Hyster Fortis H40-70FT Click here for more information on this product, including pictures.
ITA, OSHA renew alliance, plan seminars WASHINGTON, DC, United States The Industrial Truck Association (ITA) and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) have renewed an alliance aimed at protecting workers from forklift hazards. Click here for the full Fork Talk feature, including pictures. 
Rob Vetter: Why train? BLAINE, WA, United States Forkliftaction.com News is pleased to have Rob Vetter join us as a Safety First contributor. He has more than 20 years' experience in mobile equipment training systems and is currently the technical director of Ives Training Group in Blaine, Washington, USA. In his inaugural column, Rob brings us back to to basics by giving succinct answers to the question: "Why train?" If you are interested in writing for Forkliftaction.com News, please email news@forkliftaction.com Click here for the full Safety First feature, including pictures. 
Company: Keytroller Tampa, FL, United States Keytroller Inc was established in 1997 after founder Terry Wickman recognised a need in the industry for a reliable supplier of electronic devices that would improve equipment safety and performance. The focal point of Keytroller’s products is the Keytroller vehicle mounting system. Keytroller also offers the Speedtroller and Speed-saver digital speedometers. Click here for the full Industry Profile feature, including pictures. |
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