| A Semi-Monthly Newsletter for Material Handling Equipment Distributors |
July
15, 2003
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MHEDA welcomes new Distributor Member Storage & Office Systems of Jeffersonville, IN. CARB REDRAFTS FORKLIFT PROPOSAL The California
Air Resources Board (CARB) took its forklift electrification rule,
LSI-3, off the table and reworked LSI-2, which addresses forklift
retrofits. CARB's original proposal would have required all sales
and rentals of forklifts with 8,000 lbs. or less lift capacity to
be electric units, and provoked industry-wide controversy when it
was introduced. The new proposal, titled OFF-RD LSI-2, favors a
multi-faceted approach to emissions reduction that includes retrofitting
existing large spark ignition forklifts and emissions standards
for new lifts at zero and near-zero levels, and evaluating more
stringent new engine emission standards than the federal standards
that go into effect in 2007. CARB hopes to adopt this new proposal
in 2004 and implement it in 2006-2012. MHEDA ANNIVERSARIES ARE CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION! 63 MHEDA distributor companies ranging in age from 5 to 105 years are marking milestone anniversaries this year. The oldest company, Riekes Material Handling Co., founded in 1898, has been doing business in 3 centuries. This year's survey of MHEDA anniversary companies shows the greatest concentration of anniversaries in the 25 and 30-year categories. As several distributors note, a tough economic climate sometimes makes every day in business worthy of celebration, but a significant anniversary is even more incentive to throw a party. Among companies surveyed, 46% plan to acknowledge the anniversary in some way, including open houses, barbeques, dinners, golf outings and stickers for letterhead. MHEDA's anniversary distributors reflect on aftermarket sales, technological investments, reducing insurance premiums, succession plans and the "best" business mistakes. For details on these topics and more, check out the July issue of The MHEDA Journal, also online at www.mheda.org. PACKAGE FIRM GOES WIRELESS Beginning in June, UPS began implementing wireless scanners at its 1,700 distribution centers. Worn like oversized rings, the scanners transmit information about packages to handlers' hip computers and ultimately into UPS's worldwide package tracking system. The project is part of a $250M technology upgrade that includes outfitting all its drivers with handheld computers beginning early next year. With the new wireless systems, data are put into the system immediately when a driver picks up or delivers a package, rather than waiting until he or she returns to the truck to input the information. Dispatchers also can send electronic messages to drivers' handhelds when they're in the field, allowing for unscheduled pickups or driver location verification. The upgrade to a single, unified wireless network will replace 11 different scanning technologies currently in use at UPS, thereby speeding the flow of package information and making it more readily available to both UPS workers and customers nationwide. SMALL BUSINESSES STAY ALERT At the end of June, the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy launched a new tool to provide small businesses with a simple means of following the federal regulatory process. The Regulatory Alerts Web page at http://www.sba.gov/advo/laws/law_regalerts.html provides access to proposed regulations, ability to submit comments on proposals, direct access to Office of Advocacy staff and links to other regulatory-related sites. The site divides proposed regulations into subject areas such as Environmental, Tax, and Safety, Health & Labor. INDUSTRY
BEAT
TV Show Spotlights Yale Executives and Lift Trucks (Greenville, NC) • Yale Materials Handling Corporation will be featured in the July 30 episode of Modern Marvels, a television program on The History Channel. Yale's long history was one of the factors that prompted the producer of the show to select the company to participate in an episode titled "Loading Docks." Yale executives give on-screen interviews discussing the creation, development and use of lift trucks over the past 80 years. The program features the first Yale "low platform" lift truck and footage from the early days of the materials handling industry, as well as the changes that have brought the industry to where it is today. Also featured in the episode are Union Pacific for railroads, Roadway for trucking and APL for shipping. Check your local listings for channel and airtimes. Briggs Names Managers (Dallas, TX) • Mike Winemiller was named manager for BE-Fleet, Briggs Equipment's new Web-based fleet management consulting group. Andy Collins was hired as fleet sales manager. Winemiller previously served as Briggs's regional manager, directing operations of all North Texas locations. Collins most recently served as fleet director for Lowe's Companies, Inc. Engineered Handling Moves Branch (Charlotte, NC) • Engineered Handling's Hickory, NC branch moved to a new 6,100 sq. ft. facility in June, providing 5,100 ft. of warehouse space for used equipment storage and 1,000 ft. of sales office space. The branch is now located at 345 9th St. NE, Hickory, NC 28602. Dismuke Joins Dyna-Lift (Montgomery, AL) • Keith Dismuke joined Dyna-Lift as a sales representative covering northwest Florida and southwest Georgia. Dismuke is based in Dothan, AL. Delta
Named Mitsubishi Dealer (Memphis,
TN)
• Delta Materials Handling was named
a dealer for Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks. Delta now supplies Mitsubishi
trucks, parts and service throughout 21 counties in Tennessee and
35 counties in Mississippi. FKI
Logistex Names VP (Emeryville, CA)
• Bill Hubacek was named VP of sales
and marketing for FKI Logistex Real Time Solutions. Hubacek brings
over 25 years of material handling sales and marketing experience. TMHU Promotes Todd (Irvine, CA) • Jean Todd was promoted to national parts operation manager for Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. Todd is responsible for managing the TMHU parts department, including parts pricing, parts administration, the Customer Support and Service (CSS) program, parts marketing, parts sales, parts and CSS dealer training, parts publication and the STARLIFT program. She joined Toyota in 1971.
Breidegam Named BCI Honorary Life Member (Lyon Station, PA) • DeLight E. Breidegam, Jr., chairman and founder of East Penn Manufacturing, was given the Battery Council International (BCI) title of Honorary Life Member at BCI's convention in Cancun, Mexico. The BCI Board of Directors nominated Breidegam in recognition of his contributions to the worldwide battery industry and years of dedicated service to the Council, including serving as BCI president from 1978-1979 and BCI director from 1969-2002. In its 78-year history, BCI has awarded this title to only a few individuals. CRAFT EQUIPMENT COMPANY BUILDS IT UP For suppliers to the Department of Defense, the events of 9/11 had a silver lining. However, that silver lining came with a condition: the suppliers needed to move quickly to accommodate a rapid buildup of strategic defense systems. Late in 2001, Lockheed Martin approached Craft Equipment Company with a dilemma: more storage space was needed in its parts and production facility in Orlando, FL, but Lockheed Martin had no time to build a new facility while at the same time meeting the needs of a nation at war. Craft Equipment Company's President Donald Mays and Vice President Buddy Chadwell offered a solution. With the proper set-up, Lockheed Martin could consolidate its parts and production area into 60% of the space presently occupied in the current facility. "We spent hundreds of hours studying Lockheed Martin's application, analyzing their needs and future projected needs, and putting together the scope of work we could do for them," says Mays. The company president knew a unique plan was essential to beating the competition. Together with Gary Taylor, regional manager at Remstar International, they developed a plan that utilized the full height of the building with carousels and Remstar 28-ft. vertical lift modules. "When some of our competition was limiting their proposal to typical stock size machines, we used taller machines to give the customer better use of the available cube." Lockheed Martin accepted the plan and was able to continue on to a new defense contract without the trouble of building a new facility. The half-million dollar order was placed last July, and installation began in August.
Teleconference:
How to Get More New Customers Right Now
Hot Summer Reading! • The Summer 2003 issue of The MHEDA Journal is now available in print and online. Mailed today, July 15, and online at www.mheda.org, you can read about distributors' anniversaries, the online sales tax, evaluating your sales mix, material handling education, the logistics of webinar training, and the hot-button issue of reverse online auctions. Save on the DiSC Report • The 2003 MHEDA Distributor Statistical Comparisons (DiSC) Report indicates major differences between the performance of the typical firm and the high-profit firm, and provides detailed financial results of material handling distribution firms, including tables, charts and executive summary explanations. The Industry Report will be available July 25. Cost is $250, with a 10% discount when you order online by August 1. Click here to order your advance copy and save. Survey participants will automatically receive a complimentary copy along with their individual company data from Profit Planning Group by the end of July. If you have any questions, contact MHEDA at (847) 680-3500 or connect@mheda.org. Engage Distributors - Advertise in the Directory! • Advertising in the 2004 MHEDA Directory will produce dollars for your company and give you the sales edge you expect for your advertising dollar. The Directory contains over 700 material handling company listings and offers competitive rates and long-term frequency of ad exposure. Join the 40 companies who placed ads in the 2003 Membership Directory - they know a great advertising venue when they see one. Rates start at $850. Additional options include: 4 color; cover positions; section dividers; and tip-in postcards. The 2004 Directory will be mailed in early December 2003. Tear sheets and invoices will be mailed in January 2004. Call Evelyn McWilliams at MHEDA (847) 680-3500 or e-mail emcwilliams@mheda.org to get the best option for your advertising dollar! |
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