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Sysco puts fuel cell units into operation  North Houston, TX, United States | Food products distributor Sysco Corp has deployed 98 GenDrive fuel cell units from Plug Power Inc on a fleet of Raymond Corp electric forklifts at a new distribution centre.
The equipment includes 72 model 8400 pallet trucks and 26 model 7400 Reach-Fork trucks.
The units will move both dry and freezer goods throughout the 585,000 square foot (52,650 sqm) facility. Cold storage areas of the North Houston distribution centre can reach temperatures as low as negative 8° Fahrenheit (negative 22.2° Celsius). Unlike lead-acid batteries that do not react well under cold temperatures, fuel cells continue to meet or exceed customer requirements despite the sub-zero temperatures.
Air Products and Chemicals Inc of Allentown, Pennsylvania provided the indoor hydrogen fueling dispensers in strategic locations throughout the centre. Truck operators can refuel a GenDrive unit in less than two minutes, completely eliminating the need to change, store, charge and maintain multiple lead-acid batteries per truck.
The power solution from Plug Power allows Sysco to reduce its creation of greenhouse gas emissions at the facility. GenDrive, fueled with hydrogen, creates only water and heat as by-products.
“Sysco has been a great customer to work with throughout GenDrive’s field testing and we’re excited to see them now convert a full Raymond fleet from batteries to fuel cells,” says Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power in Latham, New York.
Sysco, the global leader in the food service distribution industry, has been involved in the development and field testing of GenDrive power units since 2001. Its interest allowed Sysco to witness the financial, operational and environmental benefits that fuel cell solutions offer. Sysco operates more than 190 distribution centres across North America.
This installation is partially funded by an award made to Sysco in April 2009 by the US Department of Energy (DoE) office of energy efficiency and renewable energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Forkliftaction.com News #466). The DoE intends for this funding to accelerate the commercialisation and deployment of fuel cells and create jobs in fuel cell manufacturing, installation, maintenance and support services.
Houston-based Sysco sells, markets and distributes food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. For the 2009 fiscal year ended June 27, Sysco reported sales of more than USD36 billion. |  |
| New jobs at Raymond  Greene, NY, United States | Electric forklift manufacturer Raymond Corp has three dozen work opportunities at its Greene headquarters facility, an East Syracuse, New York parts distribution centre, a Muscatine, Iowa plant and certain company-operated dealership locations.
A Raymond spokesman says the job openings reflect an increased end-market demand for materials handling equipment and represent a positive sign for the overall economy.
Raymond was among 50 firms participating in an 18 June job fair at Broome Community College under the auspices of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. Hundreds of job applicants spent time at the fair. Greene is located north east of Binghamton.
In the Greene plant, Raymond seeks to hire a welding manager, an assistant welding team leader and an experienced welder. Another welder is needed in Muscatine.
In addition to the welding positions, Raymond listed openings for seven material attendants and leaders, four engineers with mechanical, manufacturing or product-reliability skills, three assemblers, multiple information technology posts, two service technicians and 12 other jobs. |  |

| Gehl reaches significant refinancing milestone Ancenis, France | Manitou subsidiary Gehl Company has reached a significant milestone in its refinancing effort.
Manitou says Gehl has sold USD36 million of existing finance contracts receivables to a third-party lender. Proceeds of the transaction were used to fully repay Gehl’s exisiting securitisation program and reduce the principal amount outstanding under Gehl’s revolving credit facility to USD20 million.
Manitou CEO Jean-Christophe Giroux says the company is “very pleased with this important milestone (which) recognises Gehl’s constant focus on cash generation over the last 18 months, as well as a gradually improving business environment in the US”.
Giroux adds that the company is now actively working towards a “new and improved” financial structure to support Gehl’s development and long-term success.
Gehl has also fully reimbursed the term loan portion of its credit facility in March. At the same time, the company amended its June 2009 credit facility, mainly for all past defaults to be waived by its lenders and to reduce the maximum available amount of the revolving tranche to USD45 million. The amended credit facility will be available to Gehl until 15 September 2010.
According to Manitou, the amended credit facility will provide Gehl with liquidity for the near-term and sufficient time to reorganise long-term financing sources.
Gehl holds its annual general meeting on 24 June and reports its first half 2010 sales on 20 July.
In June 2009, Manitou announced that Gehl had renegotiated its 2006 bank credit agreement enabling it to continue borrowing up to USD105 million for 24 months. The amended agreement granted Gehl’s lenders a security interest in all of its North American assets (Forkliftaction.com News #417). |  |

| TJ moves to larger facility  Kirkwood, NY, United States | Forklift dealer Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co Inc (TJ) has moved 11.5 miles (18.4 km) to a larger facility in the Binghamton, New York. The newly renovated location in the town of Kirkwood occupies 10,200 square feet (918 sqm) in comparison with TJ’s previous leased site with 6,500 square feet (585 sqm) in the hamlet of Endwell.
TJ-affiliate Carejon Realty LLC acquired the building for USD305,000 on 15 March. The dearlship gains a geographic advantage in the regional market and obtains high-profile visibility with frontage along heavily travelled Interstate Highway 81, says David Schneckenburger, TJ owner and president.
East Syracuse, New York-based TJ has operated in the Binghamton market for more than five decades and opened the Endwell facility in 1968. The site has eight employees including five technicians and will hold customer open houses on 25-26 June.
TJ distributes forklifts from Toyota, Crown, Clark, Hoist, Drexel and Sellick. For the construction equipment segment, TJ represents Bobcat including some new retail-oriented models. TJ also sells industrial batteries and industrial floor cleaners.
Within New York State, TJ has facilities in the Elmira and Albany markets in addition to those in the Syracuse and Binghamton areas. TJ’s service area includes 34 counties in New York State, six in Vermont, three in Pennsylvania and one in Massachusetts.
For all locations, TJ employs 115 staff including 51 technicians, a full-time operator trainer and a full-time technical trainer.
TJ had 2009 sales of about USD26 million, and Schneckenburger projects growth during 2010. For sales, “we will end up 5% higher than last year and be more profitable”, he says.
Asked about the economy, Schneckenburger notes that the food and beverage segments are buying equipment, but the core manufacturing market “is not buying” at this time.
Lawrence (Tommy) Thompson and George Johnson founded the materials handling business in Syracuse in 1954. |  |
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| The Potter Group boosts storage space with forklifts  Merseyside, United Kingdom | UK logistics service provider The Potter Group has more than quadrupled the storage area in one of its distribution centres through the use of articulated forklifts.
The Potter Group’s distribution centre at Knowsley, Merseyside provides 165,000 sqft (15,329 sqm) of shared user warehousing. The facility had been mainly used as a bulk paper store until 2007 when its use was switched to the storage of pharmaceutical and chemical products, clinical nutrition and other prescription products.
When the site was used as a bulk paper store, its pallet capacity had been just over 4,000 locations. This was insufficient to cope with the demands of Potter’s growing client base in the private medical sector.
Bryan Mulvey, general manager of the Knowsley distribution centre, says the group’s priority was to achieve maximum storage density with the square footage that was available. “We considered using reach trucks but decided that articulated forklifts offered greater throughput and flexibility.”
The company settled on a high-bay very narrow aisle racking design served by Narrow Aisle Flexi articulated forklifts. The top beam of the new racking layout is 11.2 metres (36.8 feet) high and the aisles are 2.2 metres (7.2 feet) wide. The new storage area provides a total of 16,743 pallet locations, and because of the fluctuating production and sales patterns of the products stored at Knowsley, it has been designed to allow slow moving and frequently picked items to be accommodated.
The Potter Group operates a fleet of five electric-powered Flexi trucks at Knowsley. All of the pallet put-away and picking is undertaken by the Flexis while the loading and unloading of trailers in the yard is performed by the Flexis and some counterbalance forklifts.
Mulvey says the articulated forklifts’ ability to unload incoming trailers like a counterbalance machine and serve the facility’s VNA racking means the company is able to reduce double handling and cut the overall size of its forklift fleet.
Established in 1965, The Potter Group offers about 1.6 million sqft (148,645 sqm) of warehousing and 250 acres (101 hectares) of external storage from five facilities in the UK. |  |
| Suppliers unveil IMHX offerings  Birmingham, United Kingdom | Most of the products and services displayed by the 300-plus IMHX 2010 exhibitors at the NEC from 16-19 November will be aimed at the distribution industry, according to organisers.
They point out that the UK logistics industry is estimated to be worth over GBP74 billion (USD109.7 billion) a year and employs one in 12 of the nation’s workers.
Narrow Aisle Ltd will be demonstrating its award-winning Flexi range of articulated forklifts at the show. The company recently supplied Telford-based third-party logistics provider Simmonds Transport with two Flexi HiMax trucks and one Flexi G4 articulated forklift. Narrow Aisle boasts that Flexi trucks can save warehouse operators at least 30% of their storage costs, with their ability to operate in 1.6 metre- (5.3 foot) wide aisles and lift loads over 12 metres (39 feet) high.
Leicester-based Transmon Engineering Ltd, which recently supplied a forklift fleet management system to UK palletised goods distributor Palletways, will showcase its TDS1 Data Savure, offering password-controlled driver access to forklifts. This means only authorised and qualified drivers will be able to operate the trucks’ ignition. Together with an impact monitoring and measuring feature, the device promotes safe and efficient driving.
Forklift manufacturer Jungheinrich will exhibit its latest materials handling equipment. It recently supplied pallet racking and forklifts to Crawley-based distribution specialist Eezehaul. Besides a racking system providing over 5,000 pallet locations, Jungheinrich delivered a fleet of electric counterbalance, reach and stand-on pallet trucks to Eezehaul.
Warehouse automation specialist KNAPP will run a live demonstration of its OSR Shuttle sorter at the show. The new dispatch buffer is a modular solution, installed in the goods-out area, and uses technology from KNAPP’s OSR Shuttle system. Totes ready for distribution are fed to flow-rack channels by shuttle, with each customer order assigned to one or more channels. Channels are selected to enable the driver to load his vehicle according to the sequence of his route.
Edmolift UK Ltd, a manufacturer of loading bay equipment, goods lifts, ergonomic lifts, work positioners and scissor lift tables, will use IMHX 2010 for the worldwide launch of its new, pit-free MultiDock loading bay lift. The MultiDock requires no installation and can be operating within 15 minutes of delivery.
Southam-based Niko Ltd, which supplies lightweight cranes, overhead conveyors and monorails, will demonstrate its range of products on its stand. Niko says it will display its manual overhead conveyor system with “localised power travel” and its lightweight overhead crane with latching facility.
Advanced Handling, which recently supplied Coca-Cola Enterprises in Milton Keynes with 13 pit-mounted static scissor lift tables, each with a capacity of 1,000kg (2,204lbs) and a lifting height of 1,600mm (5.3 feet), will display some of its handling equipment that has been custom-built to customers’ specific requirements.
Visitors can pre-register for IMHX 2010 by visiting {statlink|1|www.imhx.biz}. Pre-registered visitors receive a Priority Pass pack by post before the event. The pack includes a delegate name badge, a booklet of handling industry contacts and a fold-out exhibition floor plan. |  |
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| Wood processor installs RFID units on forklifts  Orangeburg, SC, United States | Specialised wood-product supplier Cox Industries Inc is using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to improve efficiency in its forklift and shipping operations.
In an initial location in Blackstone, Virginia, the family-operated business replaced manual tracking processes with RFID and is experiencing accuracy of about 99% in shipping orders for wood products to building supply dealers and specialty distributors.
Cox contracted with Stark RFID for its technology. The Greenville, South Carolina-based software developer and turnkey RFID integrator provided its HackTrac work-in-progress inventory management system.
Cox obtained RD5000 mobile RFID readers from the enterprise mobility solutions division of Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola Inc. The device can read RFID tags attached to the lumber packages. Stark RFID recommended that Cox use the Motorola readers.
“We have found that the RFID system improves our offering by giving employees quick access to details such as order history, customer change requests and real-time ordering status,” says Greg Campbell, Cox director of operations.
When a forklift picks up a package of lumber, the RD5000 unit reads the RFID tag and the operator views the information regarding where the lumber should be stacked in the yard on a forklift-mounted monitor. After the package is stacked, the information is transferred wirelessly. Cox managers can track a package’s whereabouts, born-on dates and order fulfillment process.
“The RFID system from Motorola and Stark RFID is helping us reach our goals of increasing operational efficiencies and redefining customer service by improving worker productivity by 44% and increasing annual inventory turns by as much as two times,” Campbell reports.
The Bluetooth-integrated RD5000 eliminates the need to mount a traditional fixed reader in an enclosure and run cabling to antennas on the front of the forklift. The results: less use of cables, lower costs and a wireless network.
In addition to Blackstone and its extensive Orangeburg headquarters location, Cox Industries has operations in Eutawville, North and Branchville, South Carolina; Leland, Ramseur and Cove City, North Carolina; and Vance, Alabama. Once Cox deploys about 75 RFID readers for use at all facilities, the system will provide managers with real-time metrics to compare efficiency across plants, personnel and equipment.
In addition to the RFID solution, Cox is implementing a new enterprise-resource-planning system, a purchasing system and other applications to provide an integrated inventory platform. |  |
| Briefs  | Still marks anniversary
Hamburg, Germany
Still GmbH has celebrated its 90th anniversary with a “big family party” at its company premises in Hamburg.
Still was founded as a repair shop for electric motors by Hans Still in 1920. He quickly recognised the need for logistics solutions for the growing transportation of goods. The company achieved initial success by building mobile power generators but its electric materials handling vehicles in the 1950s moved it towards its present direction. Still also created a mobile service fleet in the ’40s. Today, Still has 1,900 service engineers and technicians in Europe.
AEM prints limited supply of decals
Milwaukee, WI, United States
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has printed a limited supply of ready-to-use rough-terrain forklift safety decals to meet demand for the OSHA-approved machine-operator certification sticker.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved the AEM decal early this year and the association is offering companies a free PDF download to make customised labels.
AEM is offering the ready-to-apply sticker for a modest fee, with discounts to member companies and for quantity orders. To promote safe machine operation, AEM offers the PDF decal artwork as a free download. For more information, contact Pat Monroe at pmonroe@aem.org.
Kastalon wins safety honours
Alsip, IL, United States
Kastalon Polyurethane Products has won the Safety Award of Honor from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association for the second year running.
The honour was bestowed on Kastalon for having a “perfect safety record” of no reportable injuries or illnesses among its employees for the year.
Having accumulated over 1,350 days without an accident, the company also won its second Workers’ Compensation Trust of Illinois’ Chairman’s Award for Safety Excellence.
Kastalon, a family-owned custom polyurethane manufacturer, employs 65 employees in Illinois. |  |
| FLTA unveils Awards date and location  Alton, United Kingdom | The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) has announced that its Annual Awards for Excellence 2011 will be held at the King Suite of the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham on 12 February 2011.
FLTA CEO David Ellison says the central location of the hotel is convenient for guests from the UK while its proximity to Birmingham International Airport makes it accessible for overseas visitors.
“More important, the King Suite will provide us with the scope and scale required to stage the type of evening our industry deserves and will comfortably accommodate the increase in attendance that we anticipate as the economy continues to improve,” he adds.
In an effort to keep visitors’ expenses at “an acceptable level”, the FLTA has negotiated good room rates at the hotel.
“We know that this will please our sponsors who have been unswerving in their support for the awards,” Ellison says.
Sponsors of the event are Albury Asset Rentals, Doosan Infracore, Exide Technologies’ Industrial Energy division, Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, Narrow Aisle, Samuk Lift Trucks and Linde Material Handling. Bibby Leasing, Curtis Instruments, Integrity Handling, Jungheinrich, The Oval Group and The Private Health Partnership are supporting the awards.
For more information about the FLTA’s Annual Awards for Excellence, go to www.fork-truck.org.uk. |  |
| Movers & Shakers | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Chaudhry Saleem has been appointed CEO of Shamil United Industrial Services. Saleem previously worked with Toyota Forklifts Saudi Arabia for 30 years. He will now be responsible for offering rental, leasing and maintenance facilities to forklift users in Saudi Arabia.
Niagara Falls, Canada
Palfinger North America has appointed Greg Sneek as its crane product manager. Sneek has over nine years’ technical experience in the area of hydraulics. He was previously product manager and outside sales manager with HYDAC Corporation Canada. He will now be based at Niagara Falls and be responsible for analysing and understanding crane market needs, assist in new product development, conduct competitive analyses and assist in creating strong market positioning. |  |
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| Businesses find credit access tougher  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Business executives are expecting slower growth in inventories and capital equipment in the September quarter compared to the June quarter, according to the latest survey by credit analyst Dun & Bradstreet.
The report is in line with figures from the Reserve Bank of Australia which show many businesses had less access to credit in the last quarter, with business credit declining by 7% over the year to April.
According to Dun & Bradstreet CEO Christine Christian, recent interest rate rises and tight lending conditions are being felt by a number of Australian businesses.
She says the reduction in capital investment and inventories expectations is a sign that Australian executives believe credit will continue to be tight in the coming quarter.
“Given one in five businesses consider access to credit to be the most important influence on their business in the quarter ahead, executives will be watching the RBA's interest rate plans very closely in coming months.
“The critical factor now is how significantly tightening financial conditions will impact the growth plans of Australian firms and what executives will do to address these challenges.”
Ben Rainsford, chief executive officer of Task Forklifts, tells Forkliftaction.com News that credit access is a growing concern in the industry, with more customers struggling to raise finance for forklift purchases.
He says as a result of tightening financial conditions, the company has focused more on its core activity than on its development plans in Australia. However, he adds that export sales continue to perform above expectations and has been a significant growth area.
Also of concern, says Rainsford, is the general conservative approach by customers at the moment. “Recent changes to the ‘Mine Tax’ have had a dramatic impact on booked orders for this industry sector,” he notes.
Another forklift supplier, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells Forkliftaction.com News that access to funds is a significant issue for its customers, both large and small.
“For many of our customers, the availability of in-house finance from (our company) has become more significant in recent times.”
He says the lack of confidence in the marketplace is concerning, with many businesses delaying forklift acquisition plans on a ‘wait and see’ basis.
“This is most obvious in business related to the mining sector,” he says. |  |
| Retailer orders forklift equipment for new warehouse  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Speciality retailer Strandbags has ordered a range of forklift equipment from Toyota Material Handling for its new 8,500 sqm distribution centre in Sydney.
The contract includes a fleet of eight sit-down pantograph reach trucks, two wire-guided high-level order pickers, a low-level order picker and an electric counterbalance forklift.
According to Strandbags group logistics manager Steve English, the BT pantograph sit-down reach trucks were chosen “because we needed the capacity at height and our drivers are dedicated to these trucks, spending the bulk of their shift at the controls, so sit-down positioning was critical”.
He adds that the Raymond order pickers chosen offered outstanding driver control features such as auto-steer centring, which reduces the risk of damage to the truck or racking by automatically centring the drive tyre at start-up; an AC drive which requires less maintenance than DC; and an intuitive mapping handle that was designed by a fighter pilot, which simplifies operation.
The supplier tailored a five-year rental agreement to meet the company’s evolving needs.
English says the flexibility of the rental agreement offered by the supplier is excellent.
“If we alter the configuration of the warehouse or our needs change, we can interchange our equipment without incurring any financial penalty.
“This gives us great peace of mind knowing that we are not stuck with anything less than the optimum equipment, both now and in the future.” |  |
| Australia to host international logistics conference  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia (CILTA) has won the right to host the 2011 International Conference of World Leaders of Transport and Logistics.
The announcement was made when T&L leaders from around the world met in Malta at the International Council of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) recently.
The associated meetings will be in Sydney from 2-5 May 2011, with the conference itself on 4 May.
The opportunity to host the event comes on the back of Australian Len Harper becoming the international chairman of CILT, only the second time in over 80 years that an Australian has held the position. |  |
| Doyen awarded doctorate  Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Doyen of the logistics industry Lindsay Fox of Linfox was awarded an honorary degree by Victoria University this month for his outstanding achievements in business and contribution to the community.
Fox received the degree of Doctor of the University honoris causa, with the university citation noting that Fox has been a strong advocate for driving efficiencies and for leading the industry in advancing the safety of its employees.
Fox quipped: “After 57 years as a roads’ scholar, it’s wonderful to have the qualification and the certificate.”
Fox has previously been made an Officer of the Order of Australia and a Companion of the Order of Australia. |  |
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Editorial Calendar 2010
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January
Telehandlers
February
The Forklift Market in The USA
March
Attachments: Pallet Handling
April
Used Forklift Dealers
May
The Forklift Market in China
June
Materials Handling Equipment in Ports
July
The Forklift Market in Latin America
August
Industrial Tryes and Wheels
September
Batteries and Chargers
October
Materials Handling in Europe
November
Warehouse Counter Balance Forklifts
December
Spare Parts
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