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 | |  | Tough times call for smart thinking and the recent decision by Raymond to mothball a plant in Canada is a good example. Sure there’s short-term pain for the communities affected by the layoffs, but there’s no long-term advantage to businesses clinging on against adversity when there are other alternatives. In this case, it seems the “plant idling” has been handled thoughtfully, and the challenge for businesses is to balance their own needs with those of their staff and suppliers. But at the end of the day, the slowdown has taught us the cost of unsustainable business practices and the need to take tough decisions. |
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Powerful future for batteries  | | New power sources tend to dominate the headlines, but battery-powered forklifts remain popular and constitute a large part of the global forklift fleet. Allan Leibowitz looks at developments in battery technology and their implications for end-users. Read more |  |
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Raymond closing Brantford, moving Reach-Fork assembly
Greene, NY, United States | Raymond Corp will idle a plant in Canada impacting 250 workers and move assembly of its Reach-Fork forklift line to the Greene headquarters, creating more than 100 jobs.
Raymond plans to move the equipment and complete the transition by 31 March, with government funding providing some financial support.
The consolidation will shut down the Raymond operation in Brantford, Ontario. The site opened in 1966, at one time had 575 employees and is slated for closure for an undetermined period.
“Raymond has made the strategic decision to consolidate all of its Class 2 lift truck manufacturing to support the healthy future of the company and its more than 1,800 employees,” says James Malvaso, Raymond president and chief executive officer. “This change allows us to continue developing innovative solutions that best serve our customers and their needs. Every employee in our Brantford operations has been an incredible asset. . . . This decision did not come easily, and we thank them for their many contributions.” Raymond intends to supply severance packages to the workers, who learned of the idling plans on18 September in advance of a scheduled one-week shutdown.
Raymond says the North American forklift market decline and a need to optimise engineering and manufacturing efficiencies prompted the decision to mothball Brantford. Raymond cites Industrial Truck Association statistics that indicate a decline of 60% in the overall forklift market since 2006.
Raymond subsidiary GN Johnston Equipment Co Ltd of Mississauga, Ontario will maintain the Raymond brand’s presence in Canada through 13 locations. The subsidiary also represents BT-brand materials handling equipment and Remstar International Inc systems such as shuttle vertical lift modules and vertical and horizontal carousels.
The Greene facility performs design, engineering and prefabrication of the Reach-Fork trucks now and will gain the assembly function.
During a 21 September press conference at Raymond headquarters, officials disclosed USD3 million in funding to Raymond from State of New York agencies.
The state department of economic development, known as Empire State Development (ESD), awarded a USD2.25-million grant to Raymond, and the state office of community renewal earmarked USD750,000 for a community development block grant.
“During our conversations with Governor David Paterson, he made it clear we were to exhaust all our resources and abilities to ensure the retention and growth” of Raymond in Greene, says Dennis M Mullen, ESD chairman and CEO designate pending state senate confirmation. “As the largest employer in the area, it was critical that the company remain in the southern tier, securing the region’s stability through job creation and business investment dollars. As a steward of taxpayer dollars, ESD pursues the largest return on our investment. This project has resulted in a successful public/private partnership that will secure the company’s future in Chenango County and leverage economic prosperity in our state.”
Apparently, Raymond considered other locations such as Indiana for consolidation of its manufacturing facilities.
“We’re pleased that Raymond is bringing more jobs to Greene,” says State Senator Thomas W Libous of the 52nd district. “We’re glad to have these new job opportunities.”
State Assembly Member Clifford W Crouch of the 107th district says: “I am pleased that Raymond has chosen to expand operations here. . . . I am grateful for their decision and stand ready to support them however I can.”
Libous and Crouch are Republicans in the Democrat-dominated state legislative chambers.
Malvaso, Mullen, Libous and Crouch participated in the hour-long morning press conference.
Raymond Corp has roots back to 1922 when efficiency engineer George G Raymond Sr purchased a foundry and embarked on creative mechanical ways to handle materials. Early developments included a hydraulic hand lift truck for handling skid platforms, a hand lift truck for transporting double-faced pallets and, later, a narrow-aisle lift truck.
The Greene facility makes electric counterbalance forklift trucks, swing-reach trucks and order-picker trucks. Among production units, 90% are built to meet a customer’s custom configuration requirements. Manufacturing processes include machining; fabrication including laser and plasma cutting; robotic welding; painting and just-in-time assembly.
BT Industries AB of Linköping, Sweden, now operating as Toyota Industries Sweden AB, acquired Raymond Corp in 1997. Toyota Industries Corp of Kariya, Japan purchased BT Industries including Raymond in 2000. Raymond operates as part of the Toyota materials handling group.
In North America, 31 Raymond dealers provide services through 108 locations, and other Raymond dealers operate in Central and South America, Australia and the Middle and Far East.
In addition to the Greene headquarters and operations, Raymond has ongoing operations in a Muscatine, Iowa facility for manufacturing of Class 3 lift trucks and a Syracuse, New York site for parts distribution.
Meanwhile, since 8 September, all Raymond facilities are designated as tobacco-free campuses in line with the company’s employee wellness program.
Beginning in February, Raymond sponsored several tobacco-quit programs for its employees. “Having a tobacco-free campus promotes a healthier environment for all Raymond employees and the many visitors that come to our facilities,” says Steve Van Nostrand, Raymond vice president of human resources. |  |
| | Barloworld distributes Irion
Maidenhead, United Kingdom | Barloworld Handling is now providing UK-wide sales and service support for the Irion brand of sideloaders.
Graham Jones, Barloworld Handling’s general manager for UK sales, says the materials handling equipment company is committed to providing a “complete portfolio” of handling equipment to its customers.
“The Irion range gives a wider choice in specific sectors,” Jones explains.
Irion sideloaders are designed to handle long and awkward loads in the textile, wood, timber, building products, steel, cable and aluminium industries. They suit tough, outdoor applications.
Jones says that the Irion brand will benefit from Barloworld’s established network. “To date, Irion has had little exposure in the UK but with the backing of the Barloworld support infrastructure, it represents an excellent new solution in our portfolio to help businesses operate efficiently.”
Irion, a division of the Terra group of companies, is one of Europe’s leading sideloader brands, with manufacturing facilities in Austria and France. The DFX fixed-wheel range is available in diesel or LPG options, hydrostatic transmission, fully-enclosed operator cab, a lift capacity between 4 and 8 tonnes, and lift heights of up to eight metres (26.3 feet).
Separately, Barloworld Handling and Hyster Company celebrated the 60th anniversary of their US partnership at Barloworld Handling’s headquarters in Charlotte, US, last week.
“In a time where corporate landscapes change quickly, and where partnerships are short-lived, our relationship with Hyster Company is truly one-of-a-kind,” says Barloworld Handling’s US vice president of sales and marketing, Scott Alexander.
The US division of Barloworld Handling started in 1943 as a small distribution and equipment business named Wrenn Brothers. Wrenn Brothers became one of the first Hyster forklift dealers in the region in 1949, and the partnership has grown ever since.
Barloworld Handling is the world’s largest independent forklift dealer with operations in the UK, Holland, Belgium, South Africa and south-east USA. Barloworld Handling’s US division includes 30 full-service branches and over 400 road service technicians in eight states. As the UK’s exclusive Hyster distributor since 1956, Barloworld Handling maintains nearly 30,000 forklifts through its network of 1,000 support staff that includes 550 engineers. | |
| | Saigon Newport Company orders six more
Stockholm, Sweden | Saigon Newport Company (SNP) has awarded Cargotec a contract for six all-electric Kalmar E-One rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, for the first phase of its Tan Cang-Cai Mep International Container deepwater port.
The machines are similar in design to the 20 E-One RTGs that SNP ordered in 2007. The 6+1 wide and 1-over-5 high RTGs are equipped with a container position verification system and will be delivered in the first quarter of 2010. The order value was not disclosed.
Henry Tan, Cargotec’s sales director for South East Asia, says SNP selected the RTGs for their “productivity, ease of maintenance, sustainable design and high standard of service”.
“The equipment and our service have fulfilled their expectations and our strong relationship with SNP has become even stronger,” Tan explains.
He adds that over the years, Cargotec has supplied SNP with RTGs, reach stackers and terminal tractors.
“At the same time, we have strengthened our presence in Vietnam by providing a broader range of equipment, technology and services.
“Vietnam’s container industry is developing as trade is growing. We are building on the close co-operation with our customers to play an important role in this development,” Tan says.
According to Cargotec, Saigon Newport Company has an annual growth rate of 20% and a 70% share of Ho Chi Minh City’s container market. It operates three cargo handling facilities – Tan Cang, Cat Lai and Cai Mep – and two terminals, all situated at the gateway of Ho Chi Minh City.
The Tan Cang-Cai Mep International Container deepwater port project consists of two phases. Phase one that opened on 1 June features a 300-metre (984-foot) long berth that can handle container vessels of 100,000 DWT and a 20-hectare (49-acre) container yard capable of handling 650,000 TEUs a year.
Phase two, which will be completed in November 2010, will see SNP operate the remaining 600 metres (1,988 feet) of berth, capable of handling container vessels of 110,000 DWT, and a 40-hectare (99-acre) container yard that can handle 1.1 million TEUs a year. | |
 | | WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING! | Research by global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers indicates that survivors of the last downturn kept advertising and marketing through the bad times.
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| | KION’s lenders approve covenant amendment
Wiesbaden, Germany | KION Group’s lenders have approved the materials handling equipment manufacturer’s proposal for an amendment of covenants.
According to KION, more than the required two-thirds majority of lenders voted in favour of the company’s proposal, which “is a prudent step to ensure the company’s ongoing compliance” with its covenants in a market impacted by dropping demand for forklifts.
“The broad support from our lenders clearly reflects their strong trust in the quality of our business,” says KION Group CFO Harald Pinger.
“Lenders’ support is an important basis for our future success,” says Pinger, adding that KION was also pleased by the support of its shareholders.
KION’s shareholders, KKR and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, are showing their support by providing the company with EUR100 million (USD147.9 million), as reported by Forkliftaction.com News in Forkliftaction.com News #422.
The KION Group, with its Linde, Still, OM and Baoli brands, employs over 21,000 people and generated revenue of about EUR4.6 billion (USD6.8 billion) in the 2008 financial year. | |
| | Jay Williford named president of four-location dealership
Winston-Salem, NC, United States | Vesco Material Handling Equipment Inc, doing business as Atlantic Coast Toyotalift, has named a new president, but the last name is exceedingly familiar within the industry.
Jay Williford, previously vice president of operations, assumes the duties of president from his father, Vann Williford, who held the position for 36 years and remains as chief executive officer and treasurer of the Winston-Salem-based business. The dealership serves portions of the North Carolina and Virginia markets through four locations.
Greg Creed, vice president of sales and marketing since 1999, continues in that role and as corporate secretary.
Jay Williford began working part-time in the business in 1990. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and an MBA degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He came back to the business full time in 2001 and became a part owner in 2004. His hobbies include soccer, saltwater fishing and snow skiing.
Vann Williford was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina and played basketball for North Carolina State where he completed a degree in industrial engineering. He won the Everett Case award as the most valuable player in the 1970 Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament. He played professional basketball, served in the US Army and returned to acquire the forklift dealership. His hobbies include saltwater fishing, golf and spending time with his grandson.
The business was founded in 1951 as Veneman Equipment Services Co (Vesco) and, in 1970, became the first Toyota Industrial Equipment dealership east of the Mississippi River. The current legal name took effect in 1970, and the doing-business-as identity was adopted in 1999 for better marketing visibility.
In addition to the Toyota brand, the firm began representing Lift-a-Loft aerial work platforms in 1973, Blue Giant industrial trucks in 1997, JLG units in 1998, truck-mounted Kesmac equipment in 1999, Mariotti narrow-aisle specialty vehicles in 2003, Hoist large-capacity forklifts in 2006, JCB teletrucks and construction equipment in 2007, Aichi aerial work platforms in 2008 and Takeuchi track loaders and mini excavators in May 2009.
The dealership moved to a new state-of-the-art Winston-Salem facility in 2006 as its third home office location since 1973.
The dealership opened branches in Martinsville, Virginia in 1978, Wilmington, North Carolina in 1993 and Roanoke, Virginia in 2001. The business invested recently to upgrade the Wilmington facility. | |
| | OSHA cites firm for forklift, other violations
Stone Mountain, GA, United States | The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited instances of employees operating forklifts without training and failure to conduct daily forklift truck inspections in fining a manufacturer of strip-wound and corrugated metal hoses.
Within a narrow time window, management of Precision Hose Inc of Stone Mountain can request an informal conference with OSHA staff or contest the citations before an independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA cited Precision Hose for 44 safety and health violations and imposed fines of USD58,887. In addition to the forklift violations, Precision Hose was cited, among other flaws, for fall, tripping, electrical and noise hazards, lack of machine guards, operation of an overhead crane needing control repairs and lack of suitable eyewash or shower stations.
The firm employs about 55 staff, occupies 40,000 sqft (3,600 sqm), makes square-locked and interlocked metal hoses and fabricates corrugated metal hose assemblies.
OSHA is a regulatory arm of the US Department of Labour. | |
| | The perfect emission control solution for forklifts | What is the filter that keeps forklifts running clean, without time-wasting downtime for regeneration? The answer is Proventia’s CHILI filter.
Proventia, a Finnish-Swiss company, has developed an electrically regenerated CHILI filter that cleans itself without any additives in the fuel during driving by heating the filter elements. This means no time-wasting downtime for cleaning the emission system in workshops, a clear advantage that distinguishes CHILI from other particulate filters on the market.
The secret behind CHILI lies in its ability to clean itself during driving, avoiding maintenance breaks. Click here to read the full article.
For more information visit www.proventia.fi.
Email: sales@proventia.fi - Phone: +358 40 777 5769 | |
| | | Briefs | Toyota chief retires
Irvine, CA, United States
The chairman and CEO of Toyota Material Handling USA Inc (TMHU), Shankar Basu, has retired.
When Basu joined Toyota, the company had less than 2% marketshare. Today, Toyota is the top forklift supplier and has held the ranking for seven consecutive years.
Brett Wood, TMHU’s president since 2008, replaces Basu. Wood was also the company’s ex-vice president of product and strategic planning and training operations, and oversaw dealer development.
Konecranes receives reach stacker order
Hyvinkää, Finland
Konecranes has received an order for two reach stackers from AP Möller-Maersk Group division, Maersk CFS, of Chennai, India.
The machines will be delivered to the new container freight station in Chennai in the northern hemisphere autumn. AP Möller-Maersk is establishing its third Container Freight Station in India, after Nhava Sheva and Dadri. It plans to commence the Chennai operations at the end of this year.
Briggs offers asset management service
Cannock, United Kingdom
Briggs Equipment has launched BE Fleet UK, a division that enables customers manage their fleet service costs and monitor real-time data from any Internet-connected PC through a web-based application.
With no software installation required, BE Fleet offers real-time reporting, consolidated invoicing and the ability to review vital fleet statistics across multiple sites. | |
| Sample of used equipment for sale: | Search 4693 listings in the Marketplace | |
| Linde |
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| Clark |
GCX30 |
1991 |
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AUD 7000 |
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| Linde |
H25D03 |
2002 |
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EUR 6450 |
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AUD 8000 |
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| Linde |
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USD 6900 |
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| Nissan |
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1995 |
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| Linde |
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| MIC |
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Click here to include your used forklifts, stackers, telehandlers, container handlers, attachments etc. | |
| | Nexens perform well for Sovereign
Lowestoft, United Kingdom | Two Nexen forklifts are handling about 600 tonnes of imported softwood each year for an Essex play equipment company.
Sovereign Design Play Systems' installations manager, Ricki Taylor, says the Nexen forklifts are “better than most I’ve come across in my career”.
“And what I particularly like is how easy they are to drive - like a car really, which enables the operators to concentrate on the job in hand,” she says.
Local dealer Meadows Forklifts of Basildon supplied the forklifts on five-year, full-maintenance contracts.
The 2.5 tonne Nexen FD25 and 3 tonne FD30 unload incoming raw materials or load palletised finished products onto Sovereign’s fleet of eight 3.5 tonne flatbed delivery vehicles, over two shifts from 3.30am to 7.30pm.
Yard manager Daniel Hutsby says the forklifts are “brilliant and ideal” for Sovereign Design’s application.
“Even though they are now both a few years old and work extremely long hours, they have never let us down,” Hutsby says.
Sovereign Design Play Systems of Shoeburyness is a manufacturer of timber-based activity equipment that is installed in primary schools and infant play areas. | |
| | Agency posts tutorial on engine regulation
Sacramento, CA, United States | The California Air Resources Board (ARB) posted a succinct 25-slide tutorial on the fleet requirements of its large spark-ignition (LSI) engine regulation on 15 September.
“I use the slides in my presentations on the requirements of the regulation and thought that they might be useful to operators visiting the LSI page to better understand the requirements of the LSI regulations,” says Mark Williams, air pollution specialist with the zero emissions vehicle implementation section in the mobile source control division of Sacramento-based ARB.
The regulation pertains to off-road LSI farm, construction and industrial equipment with engines of more than 25 horsepower using gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas or an alternative fuel. Applications include engines for forklifts, specialty vehicles, airport service vehicles, large turf care equipment, portable generators and an array of other agricultural, construction, and general industrial equipment outside the jurisdiction of the US Environmental Protection Agency to control new farm and construction equipment under 175 horsepower.
“The slides contain images to help operators understand which classes of forklifts are, and are not, part of the ‘forklift’ definition,” Williams says. “They also contain images of typical engine labels.”
In his presentations, Williams mentions “Nett, Papé and Raymond as examples of available third-party calculators but with the caveat that I have not evaluated them and that I am not endorsing them. I will evaluate those calculators and others that I become aware of when my schedule allows and will then place more prominent links to them on the LSI page.”
Williams was referring to calculators from emission control equipment manufacturer Nett Technologies Inc of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada and forklift dealerships Papé Group Inc of Eugene, Oregon and Raymond Handling Solutions Inc of Santa Fe Springs, California (Forkliftaction.com News #427). | |
| | Who will be the winning European nation?
London, United Kingdom | Nine countries will compete against reigning champion Germany in the Stapler Cup’s international forklift competition this week.
Three forklift drivers from each of the nine countries – England, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Spain – will take on Germany in Aschaffenburg, Germany on 25 and 26 September.
More than 6,500 forklift drivers have entered the Germany-based contest since 2005 and over 14,000 spectators attended the 2008 final in Aschaffenburg’s Schlossplatz.
The sole requisite for participating is a forklift driver’s license, but it’s “experience, instinct and speed” that will make a participant stand out.
According to competition organiser Linde Material Handling, the goal of the competition is to recognise the more than 350,000 forklift drivers in Germany who are “pillars of the logistics sector” and to raise awareness of the safety and technical aspects of forklift driving.
Linde Material Handling spokeswoman Heike Oder tells Forkliftaction.com News that the Stapler Cup started as a national event in Germany in 2004.
“But as more and more [Linde companies] from Europe and even China held Stapler Cups, Linde decided to have an international championship besides the German Stapler Cup,” Oder says.
The Stapler Cup’s first international championship was held in 2007 with the Chinese team coming in first place.
For more information, visit www.staplercup.com. | |
 | |
| | Major industrial auction held in Perth
Perth, Western Australia, Australia | A major auction of industrial equipment, including forklifts, took place in Perth this week, with more than 280 items sold.
Much of the second-hand equipment was from mining equipment rental company Orion WA, and had been used at a suspended nickel-mining project in Kalgoorlie.
“We wanted to put the equipment back to work when that operation ended because it’s still in great shape, but with the downturn in the mining industry, there isn’t the work available – so we decided to clean the cupboard,” says Orion MD Richard Harding.
The auction, conducted by Ritchie Bros, was unreserved. The highest bid achieved was AUD205,000 for a 2007 Komatsu motor grader.
Nine forklifts, including Nissan, Clark and Dalian brands, were sold ranging from 1.8 to 4 tons. A 2008 Dalian 1.8 ton forklift sold for AUD5,750. | |
| | Industry stalwart steps down
Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia | David Doherty, a doyen of the logistics industry, has stepped down as national chairman of the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA).
Having spent nearly 40 years in the industry, Doherty provided leadership and mentoring to hundreds of individuals in Australia.
In 2008, he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of his significant contribution to the development of Supply Chain and Logistics Best Practice in Australia.
Tributes have poured in from across the industry, with Nick Munyard, SCLAA Western Australian president, putting it best: “David will be sorely missed as SCLAA chairman. His energy and conviction have been a critical success factor in the growth and success of the SCLAA. David brings deep industry experience and insight, blending it with a unique sense of sometimes irreverent humour and delivery. This has ensured he is a captivating speaker and people give his viewpoint worthy consideration. I am hopeful, however, we will continue to see David’s involvement in the SCLAA.”
Newly appointed SCLAA chairman, David Rogers, comments that Doherty was instrumental in ensuring supply chain and logistics courses in universities and TAFE organisations provided companies and students with the necessary competencies in supply chain.
Doherty concludes that the time is right to pass the baton to the next generation in the SCLAA. “My long-time involvement in varied roles with SCLAA has provided great personal and professional benefit to me. I am grateful for my participation in the creation, and on-going development of SCLAA into a strong and vibrant association based entirely on delivering value to members.” | |
| | DB Schenker wins multi-million logistics contract
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Logistics provider DB Schenker has been awarded a logistics contract worth AUD590 million by Chevron Australia to transport material and equipment on a global basis for the Gorgon Project.
The international and domestic Australian Integrated Logistics Services (ILS) contract for the Barrow Island LNG Plant runs for four years, and it is anticipated that materials in excess of two million freight tonnes will be moved to module fabrication yards in Asia and/or directly to Australia.
The Gorgon Project is Australia's largest resources project to date, with a capex of AUD43 billion.
Says Ron Koehler, CEO Schenker Australia Pty Ltd, “Already we have in place a core project team, whose numbers will be growing significantly following the commencement of operations on the 15th of September 2009.”
The company has undertaken significant investment in purpose-built state-of-the-art logistics facilities across Australia, including its recently opened “Green Terminal” at Melbourne Airport. In NSW, integrating rail into intermodal transport concepts has been implemented, with a new logistics centre located at the Yennora railway hub.
A new facility in Perth is the latest addition giving the logistics provider a strong presence in Australia. Across the states, DB Schenker now provides more than 100,000 sqm warehouse space for customers from all industries. | |
| | Logistics awards still open
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Submissions for the Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Awards have been extended to Wednesday, 30 September 2009.
The awards, which have been run by the SCLAA for the past four decades, will be presented on 12 November in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, the SCLAA has announced it will be sponsoring positions for the October 2009 intake of the Women Moving Forward (WMF) mentoring program.
The program aims to build the efficiency, capability and number of jobs in transport and logistics by supporting the development of women. | |
| | Australia well placed to ride out crisis
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | The global economic outlook is still uncertain but Australia looks set to ride it out relatively well compared to other developed nations, according to the latest report by Dun and Bradstreet.
The quarterly Global Economic & Risk Outlook Report forecasts that global GDP will contract by 2.8% in 2009 before returning to growth of 1.3% in 2010.
The report states that Australia is well placed to ride out the crisis, given the aggressive policy action that has been taken and continued government spending which is planned for the short term. In addition, its low level of net debt provides ample scope for further stimulus should the outlook for economic growth worsen appreciably.
However, Australia's exporters could continue to face pressures in the short term due to protectionist measures that have been implemented in some countries. Falls in overall economic activity, reduced sales and tighter credit conditions for trade finance have caused a significant reduction in the volume of trade. The magnitude and duration of the present slump is dependent on the response of individual governments.
Countries such as Australia which have lower barriers to trade will be better placed to take advantage of the upsurge in trade volumes as the global economy recovers, but D&B expects the upturn in volumes will be slow.
The outlook for some of Australia's key trading partners remains downbeat. In the United States, despite further signs which indicate that the downturn is easing, concerns remain that any rebound in economic growth could be short-lived as weak credit and high unemployment taint the prospects for domestic demand.
Meanwhile, activity in the United Kingdom is expected to remain weak over the winter months; however, assuming steadily increasing rates of growth from Q2 2010 onwards, real GDP is expected to shrink by just 0.1% in 2010.
China, a key market for Australia's commodity exports, is more promising. D&B believes the official 8% real GDP growth target is plausible in 2009. However, exporters could face delayed payments from China as payment performance by Chinese importers continued to worsen in Q2. The ratio of prompt payments fell below two-thirds of the total in the twelve-month period to end-June 2009. | |
| | Forklift safety vital for a safe warehouse
Sydney, New South Wales | A free guide that focuses on forklift safety has been developed in an effort to minimise workplace injuries in warehouses.
The Warehousing and Logistics Guide to Workplace Safety 2009/10, developed by Pro-Visual Publishing, addresses forklift safety and the common causes of injury from forklifts.
“By displaying the chart prominently in workplaces, employees will have a daily reminder of essential workplace safety information,” says CEO John Hutchings.
Some of the most common causes of injuries from forklifts include: workers being hit by a forklift; lateral tip-over; workers being hit by falling objects; and operators suffering muscular stress due to a combination of inappropriate seating, vibration and manual handling.
Other topics featured in this year’s guide are racking and shelving, machine guarding and manual handling.
The guide will be distributed free of charge to all warehousing and logistics businesses throughout Australia.
For further information, or to obtain additional copies of the chart, call (02) 8272 2611 or visit www.provisual.com.au. | |
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| | | Discount, discount, discount!!!! WE-LIFT forklift fast moving parts, Welcome inquiry! |  | WE-LIFT Forklift Parts Co., Ltd is the leading forklift spare parts supplier in China. We supply many types of fast moving forklift parts such as forks, side shifters, fork positioners, seats, split rims, integral rims, solid tyres, pneumatic tyres, mast rollers, chain rollers, side rollers, water pumps, lamps, chains, fork extensions, drum clamps, discs, plates and torque converters.
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