Send
this newsletter to an associate 
Print
version |
|
|
|
Send
this newsletter to an associate
Print
version |
||
|
Dear reader, WELCOME TO FORKLIFTACTION.COM, MATERIALS HANDLING ONLINE. This is issue #304 - 05 April 2007 of the weekly newsletter for industry professionals. |
|
|||
 “Newcomer enters forklift parts market.” |
Send
this newsletter to an associate
Chinese beats Japan in forklift consumption BEIJING, China The Chinese forklift market surpassed Japan’s last year. According to statistics from the China Construction Machinery Association, the total number of forklifts sold in China in 2006 was 106,669 units. Of the total, 83,595 (78.3 per cent) were internal combustion forklifts, 14,447 were electric counterbalanced forklifts and 8,427 were electric narrow aisle forklifts. Figures from the World Industrial Truck Statistics alliance showed 88,419 forklifts were sold in Japan in 2006 (Forkliftaction.com News #303). Senior manager of the Japanese Industrial Vehicles Association Ken’ichiro Takase had predicted in an exclusive interview with Forkliftaction.com News that the Chinese forklift market would overtake Japan’s in 2006 (Forkliftaction.com News #303). The US is the world’s biggest single-country forklift market. According to a well-placed industry source, about 200,000 forklifts were sold in the US in 2006.  Manutention: CeMAT is not a competitor  PARIS, France Contrary to an agreement between the three leading international materials handling exhibitions’ organisers in 2006, Manutention will hold its next exhibition in 2008. Manutention 2008 will be on March 11-14, while CeMAT 2008 will be on May 27-31. CeMAT organiser Deutsche Messe spokesperson Brigitte Mahnken-Brandhorst said the organisers of CeMAT, Manutention and IMHX had agreed to hold their shows on three-year terms. “We do not have an official statement from Manutention on why the rhythm has changed. Anyway, CeMAT 2008 will be in May and we are sure it will be a great success,” she said. Deputy exhibition director for Manutention 2008, Pierre-Yves Protais, told Forkliftaction.com News the change of mind for the France-based show was because of its strong partnership with SITL Europe. SITL Europe, a French logistics trade show, was held every two years. At the end of Manutention 2006, visitors filled out a questionnaire on the show. About 91 per cent of those surveyed said they appreciated the joint exhibition of Manutention and SITL Europe. Also, 92 per cent said they did not intend to visit CeMAT 2008. “We didn’t know in 2006 we would hold Manutention in 2008 but we asked them the question (about CeMAT) and most of them said no,” Protais said. He said Manutention used to be an international show but had become increasingly local. In the past, about 20 per cent to 30 per cent of visitors came from outside France. Last year, only 15 per cent of visitors were from other countries. “We are not making extra effort in promoting the show internationally. We encourage foreign exhibitors interested in the French market but are not so interested in attracting international visitors. “CeMAT and Manutention are not competitors,” Protais said. Daniel Vanhemelrijck, sales and marketing manager of Doosan Infracore Europe, said he was unaware of the change. As one of the major forklift suppliers we are obliged to be at both exhibitions, especially since we changed our brand name to Doosan and the colour of our trucks to orange. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea since all suppliers with limited budgets will focus on CeMAT, of course,” he said. “Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe’s marketing manager Gian Schiava said he did not have a problem with Manutention’s new date. “We have not decided with our national distributor Aprolis on whether to participate [in Manutention]. If we decide to, Aprolis, as a Cat distributor, will organise the participation with support from us.” Schiava said he regarded CeMAT and Logistica as “true international” exhibitions. “That’s why we organise participation ourselves. We will be present with a large Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks stand, supporting our growth targets in Germany. Preparations are already under way,” he said. Bernard De Meester, director of forklift parts company TVH Group, said it would be expensive to attend two “major exhibitions” in the same year. “What could be the reason behind the shift? I thought the original arrangement worked out quite well, three major exhibitions during three consecutive years in three large economical countries, the UK, France and Germany, each country being an important country for the industry.” TVH and Mitsubishi did not participate in Manutention 2006. Doosan Infracore Europe was present to boost brand recognition of Doosan following the group’s acquisition of a majority shareholding in Daewoo Heavy Industries and Machinery in 2005 (Forkliftaction.com News #303). CeMAT 2005 attracted an international audience, with 35 per cent of trade visitors from outside Germany. Of that percentage, 11.1 per cent were from Asia and 10.7 per cent from the USA. About 1,000 exhibitors occupied 75,000 square metres of display space at CeMAT 2005, of which 43 per cent were from outside Germany. Organisers announced in 2006 the show would move to the northern hemisphere spring (Forkliftaction.com News #303). More than 18,000 people visited the IMHX 2007 from March 13 to March 16 at Britain’s National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. No information is available yet on the show’s proportion of foreign visitors.  Leading companies bring cameras to inspect Chinese forklifts BIRMINGHAM, Uzbekistan Samuk HC, a UK joint venture with China’s leading forklift manufacturer Hangcha, boasts that many foreign forklift company representatives visited its IMHX stand in Birmingham last month. Samuk chairman Sir Neville Bowman-Shaw said 27 engineers and senior managers from European competitors “inspected, measured and reviewed” the Samuk HC forklift line. “To begin with, we were very concerned, but realised it was a great compliment by competition. “[We have] two or three photographs of our senior management welcoming competitors’ representatives to our stand, complete with cameras.” Bowman-Shaw, founder of the now defunct Lancer Boss Group, said Samuk HC had a successful exhibition but did not sell any forklifts from the stand. “Back in the 1950s and 60s you would expect to sell to many end users. Today if a manufacturer announces show sales, it’s normally pre-arranged. “No one can afford to deal with end-user sales when stand costs are GBP8,000 (USD15,804.80) per hour or more.” He said the aim of exhibiting was to improve Samuk’s dealer network. Samuk had three times the targeted number of potential dealers leaving their credentials and requesting follow-up at the end of IMHX. Samuk HC invested more than GBP200,000 (USD395,120) in the show. Samuk CEO Vanda Morris said Samuk’s competitors were “rightly anxious” to see for themselves the competition Samuk provided. “Our Chinese partner Hangcha is now the number one Chinese forklift manufacturer. The warehouse range was a particular surprise to many of our competitors.” Samuk HC’s forklifts have European components, including Cummins and Nissan engines, ZF transmissions, Dunlop tyres, Curtis electric components with DC/AC control systems, Kessler drive axles with oil immersed brakes and ZAPI DC control systems. To bring the Chinese forklifts to the European market, Samuk capitalised on Bowman-Shaw’s experience of controlling design at the Lancer Boss Group. Bowman-Shaw said: “Some of the old Lancer Boss influence can be seen in the suspended torque converter power train, which more than matches the hydrostatic equivalent, coupled to the selection of power train and layout for the heavy trucks.” Bowman-Shaw and his brother formed the sideloader and counterbalanced forklift manufacturer Lancer Boss Group in 1957, establishing Boss as a leading forklift brand in the 1990s. In 1994, Jungheinrich AG took over the then bankrupt Boss Group. Bowman-Shaw, who received the UK Fork Lift Truck Association’s lifetime achievement award in 1996, said his first contact with Hangcha was in 1984. “They were introduced to Lancer Boss by the Chinese Embassy. At the time they were looking for a licence.” The Samuk and Hangcha joint venture was established in 1996 after Bowman-Shaw visited Hangchai in China. Samuk HC distributes the Chinese forklifts in the UK and some European countries under the Samuk+HC brand. Hangcha, based in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, China, produced more than 33,000 forklifts in 2006. Its factories have an annual single shift production capacity of 40,000 units. A new assembly hall is expected to begin construction in May for production starting in 2009. Senior Samuk staff will visit Hangcha in May to develop a memorandum of understanding for developing a European parts centre, in Peterborough, UK. The distributor introduced the Samuk+HC R series diesel and LPG forklifts with capacities up to 3.5 tonnes on March 1.  For Sale: Current model Nissan FO4 spare parts Great deal!!! Package includes transmission, complete axles, radiators, brake assemblies, complete steer/tilt cylinders, plus many more complete assemblies also available. All parts are in brand new packaging and great for re-sale. Prices cheaper than repairing a second hand assembly. Complete transmission with torque converter retails $29,000- our price $3,990. Please Contact Ben Samarzia at Powerlift Nissan for any inquiries at bsamarzia@powerlilft.com.au or call 1300 550 607. Available from Sydney. Complete stock list can be emailed upon request. Don’t miss this opportunity!   US subsidiary enters forklift parts market NIJMEGEN, Netherlands Van Gent Forklift Parts has opened a US subsidiary that will be headed by the former general manager of a US Yale dealership. Van Gent general manager Dave Lam said the Nijmegen, Netherlands-based company, established in 1967, was the first family-owned worldwide major forklift parts wholesaler. Run by Marijke Heijnen-Van Gent, John Heijnen and Dave Lam, Van Gent has established Intella Lift Parts, a wholly owned subsidiary. Marcel VandenTop, former general manager of Alta Lift Truck Services, a Yale dealership in Michigan, will run Intella. VandenTop was employed with Alta Lift from 1997 to 2007. Based in Holland, Michigan, Intella will only sell forklift parts wholesale, not to end users. VandenTop said Intella was on the west side of Michigan, bordering Lake Michigan. “The west Michigan area has a good base of talented workers and logistics throughout the mid-west region of the US are good.” Lam claimed Van Gent’s Alligator forklift jack, manufactured by its machine shop, was the only European-manufactured forklift jack in the world. It would now be available in the US through Intella. “Quality is considerably better than other models imported from the Far East. It’s sold to mechanics from all major OEMs,” Lam said. Toyota and BT combine under one roof CASTLEFORD, United Kingdom Toyota Material Handling Europe has integrated Toyota and BT operations in the UK market with the creation of Toyota Material Handling UK Ltd (TMHUK). The new entity will offer Toyota and BT products and services through a single marketing and sales company, a Toyota Industrial Equipment UK (TIEUK) statement said. More than 200 sales and service staff would be recruited in the UK to support growth in the UK materials handling industry. Mike Mathias, BT Rolatruc managing director, is managing director of TMHUK and Steve Hodkinson, TIEUK managing director, is deputy managing director. A senior management team will be formed from the two existing companies and TMHUK will be operational by the end of 2007. Both management teams were working together during the transition stage, the statement said. A TIEUK spokesperson was unavailable to comment this week. Last year, Toyota Industrial Equipment Finland Oy and BT Varastotekniikka Oy merged to form Toyota Material Handling Finland Oy (Forkliftaction.com News #303).  Briefs TCM enters Indian market OSAKA, Japan TCM Corp will start selling forklifts in India this month through Indian conglomerate Tata Group. Jiji Press, one of Japan’s two news agencies, reported TCM had signed an agreement to sell forklifts at 20 sales outlets run by Tata’s Mumbai-based Voltas Ltd. The report said Voltas aimed to sell 50 TCM forklifts for fiscal 2007, 100 units in fiscal 2008 and 150 units in fiscal 2009. TCM and Voltas would consider expanding their partnership to cover parts procurement and technological cooperation. Forklifts are foes at Singapore workplaces SINGAPORE, Singapore Forklift incidents accounted for 27 per cent of the 62 workplace deaths in Singapore last year. The 2006 workplace safety and health report, released by Singapore’s Workplace Safety & Health Advisory Committee, released the finding, Singapore’s free newspaper Today reported. You now have access to the world’s largest Business Directory for the forklift and related industries. Use the improved and even more user-friendly Business Directory to find over 28,000 businesses world wide, active in the materials handling industry: manufacturers of forklifts, forklift components, spare parts and accessories, suppliers, distributors, trainers, fleet managers, business consultants and more …For more information or to discuss your listing in the Business Directory, contact us by email to info@forkliftaction.com, phone +61 (0)7 3369 9090 or fax to +61 (0)7 3369 9096.  Movers & Shakers PORTLAND, OR, United States Cascade Corp has appointed Frank Altenhofen as vice president for the Americas. He will be responsible for manufacturing at Cascade’s six US and Canadian plants. He was general manager for Cascade’s Xiamen and Hebei operations in China from 1995 to 1998. Altenhofen initially joined Cascade in 1983 but left in 2001 to work as director of operations then president for a medical device and surgical instruments company. McCONNELLSBURG, PA, United States JLG Industries has promoted Chris Mellot to vice president of customer assurance, Brent Yohn to vice president of field sales and service for North America, and Todd Truax to director of training. Mellot started with JLG in 1995. He focused on interacting with and meeting the needs of JLG’s customers. He will be responsible for customer contact centres and training and warranty groups for North America. Yohn has held management positions in sales and service since starting with JLG in 1995. He will be responsible for sales and service activities through JLG’s regional distribution channels. Truax was general manager of JLG’s mid-Atlantic ServicePlus facility. He has 12 years of sales and marketing experience at JLG. ENSCHEDE, The Netherlands Geurt de Groot is Atlet BV’s new managing director. He replaces Piet Egbers who will focus on expanding Atlet in France. De Groot has been a member of Atlet BV’s sales management team for 13 years. He started as field sales manager and his most recent position was deputy managing director. ABERDEEN, United Kingdom Chris Hawley has joined battery provider Norco Group as key accounts manager. He worked for CMP Batteries Ltd for about 40 years as aftermarket sales manager for the UK and Ireland. He was awarded the UK Fork Lift Truck Association’s lifetime achievement award this year. JCB’s black swan goes missing ROCESTER, United Kingdom JCB is seeking help to find a lost swan that lived on the lakes at its global headquarters. The UK telehandler manufacturer has 36 swans, all pairs, living on lakes at its factory sites and estates. Last Tuesday, the male and female swans living in a small ornamental lake off Station Road, Rocester, went missing. The swans had lived there for 18 years. Something may have startled them, causing them to flee the lake, said JCB operations security manager Steve Blyth. A JCB boat crew searched for the swans and found the male about a mile (1.61km) from Tutbury, 15 miles (24.14 km) from the lake. Blyth, who tends the swans, said the female would be distressed without her mate. “The male was calling for her and I’m sure she’ll be calling for him, too. She’s very friendly and likely to approach humans,” he said. The Australian black swan has been micro-chipped to record JCB’s ownership. She has a yellow ring on one leg showing she is female. A red ring on the other leg has details of her ownership. Almost entirely black, she has a flick of white on each wing and a red beak with a white band. Anyone who spots the missing swan should call Blyth on +44 1889 590 312. Search 2631 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.
NMHG realigns Australian operations SYDNEY, New South Wales, Australia Nacco Materials Handling Group (NMHG) is absorbing its forklift rental business into its wholesale and retail sales and service businesses known as NMHG Pty Ltd and NMHG Distribution Pty Ltd. In a statement released today, NMHG announced National Fleet Network would be a part of the current Hyster and Yale wholesale and retail sales and service businesses. The move is expected to significantly improve NMHG’s “sales, marketing and service capabilities and operational effectiveness and efficiency”. National Fleet Network and NMHG were unavailable to comment before Forkliftaction.com News went to press. Respected European manufacturer seeks dealers in SE Asia and Australasia Major European brand seeks Industrial forklift dealer representation for unique product. This product range is well positioned alongside conventional forklifts because it adds to a dealer's coverage of the marketplace without competing head-on directly with any current forklift type or brand. This machine was designed and manufactured in Europe and the manufacturer has strategically established its brand in Europe and North America before broadening coverage. Now the time is right to open out into South East Asia and the Pacific Region and interest is sought from successful forklift equipment dealers who want to broaden their scope with this unique forklift. The product is available in Diesel and LPG and is primarily aimed at exterior yard applications. For more information, email Forkliftaction.com with your query and contact details. The manufacturer will contact you in a timely manner. Trade show visitors in safe hands MELBOURNE, Victoria, Australia Forklift safety expert Dr George Rechnitzer guided the curious and the concerned through forklift exhibits at the Melbourne Safety in Action trade show last month. The visitors were in good hands. Rechnitzer, principal forensic engineer with safety consultant DVExperts International, is a former senior research fellow at the Monash University Accident Research Centre. He has been involved with forklift safety since the early 1990s. “I was impressed with the level of energy and design effort put in by the various manufacturers and exhibitors,” Rechnitzer said. “One highlight for me [was] the rotating forklift cabin - a brilliant idea that shows the great advances that can be made through good design. “I think all [tour] participants would have been inspired to go back to their workplaces and start implementing such advances.” More than 10,000 visitors from 17 countries poured through the doors of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre for the 10th Safety In Action (SIA) and Materials Handling trade shows. Regular exhibitor Red Australia, which hosted a talk on dock safety by US Rite Hite representative Mike Gallenberger, said the forklift industry was well represented. Another regular exhibitor, Mike Featherstone, from Task Australia, estimates visitors have increased tenfold in the 10 years the company has taken part in the SIA trade shows. “The quantity of people actually visiting the stand and contributing to through traffic has increased substantially,’’ Featherstone said. “They ranged from interested onlookers to company directors and decision makers. We estimate a very good return on investment.” Donna Blackwood, from EV Alerts, agreed decision makers were out in force. “We have already received one order which will cover all costs associated with the show,” she said. “Anything after that is gravy.” A spokesperson for Toyota Material Handling said his company took a broad view of the visitor market. “We believe we reached our target audience, which included all users of materials handling equipment, rather than being restricted to forklift users only,” he said. Other forklift industry exhibitors included Linde Materials Handling, Materials Handling Pty Ltd, Maverick Equipment, Speedshield and Multi Shifter. Show organiser Marie Kinsella said: "SIA is such a strong show because it's evolving all the time and there's always something new to make it worthwhile for visitors to come back every year. There aren't too many shows of this maturity that can say 22 per cent of exhibitors are new.” Hosted by the Victorian division of the Safety Institute of Australia and sponsored by WorkSafe Victoria, next year’s shows will be on April 29 to May 1 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The second Queensland Safety Show runs from June 19 to June 21 this year at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre and the Safety Show Sydney is on October 24-26 at the Sydney Showground.  Send this newsletter to an associate 
Van Gent forklift Parts launches Intella Lift Parts in North America Van Gent announces the launch of its 100% owned subsidiary. Intella Lift Parts which is operating out of Holland, Michigan. Holland is on the west side of Michigan bordering Lake Michigan. The West Michigan area has a good base of talented workers and logistics throughout the midwest region of the USA. Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. 
WWP release it's new WP60-13 Click here for more information on this product, including pictures. The new H Series Paper Roll Clamp was demonsrated at the IMHX show in Birmingham Click here for more information on this product, including pictures.
US exports more construction machinery in 2006 MILWAUKEE, WI, United States The US exported 34 per cent more construction equipment in 2006 than in 2005, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) said. Click here for the full Fork Talk feature, including pictures. 
Michael Romano CAROL STREAM, IL, United States Michael Romano took over a Raymond dealership in Illinois two years ago and now oversees construction of a new company headquarters. Click here for the full Industry Profile feature, including pictures.  |
 |
 Tip off Forkliftaction.com Do you know something our readers should know? Write to news@forkliftaction.com or provide information anonymously here.
               |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
| To tailor
your newsletter preferences, click
here to access your member account online. Should you no longer wish to receive news from Forkliftaction.com, please click here to cancel your subscription. Forkliftaction.com News is published by Forkliftaction.com PO Box 1439, Milton QLD 4064, Australia – info@forkliftaction.com. |
