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LogiMAT’s Kazander Takes Step Toward Retirement

Posted on by David Priestman

EUROEXPO, the Munich-based organizer of the intralogistics trade show LogiMAT in Stuttgart, is quietly bidding a fond farewell: After 20 years with the company, Managing Director Peter Kazander took the first step toward retirement on June 30th.

Kazander (67), a native Dutchman, joined EUROEXPO, a HUSS Group company, as Event Manager in 2003. Under his leadership, LogiMAT grew over the past 20 years from a small trade show at Stuttgart’s old Killesberg convention centre the most important international intralogistics event in the world. LogiMAT now fills all ten halls of the new Messe Stuttgart convention centre every year with exhibitors representing the entire spectrum of intralogistics, drawing over 60,000 industry professionals who come ready to do business and discover the latest products, trends, and solutions in manufacturing and materials handling. Kazander assumed the position of Managing Director of the subsidiary Logistics Exhibitions GmbH (LEG) in 2013, tasked with gradually developing and expanding LogiMAT’s overseas events in China and Thailand, and became Managing Director of EUROEXPO in 2015.

“He and his team made LogiMAT into one of the world’s leading intralogistics trade shows, a must-attend event in the logistics calendar,” remarks Christoph Huss, Managing Partner of EUROEXPO, praising his outgoing Managing Director. Huss also cites Kazander’s efforts in setting up the digital event platform LogiMAT.digital, which helped LogiMAT survive the difficult years without any in-person events during the pandemic. “He was always ready to blaze new paths,” Huss recalls of their time working together.

Kazander also looks back on his successful trade show team with gratitude and pride. “Our success has always been rooted in good teamwork in the turbulent trade show business. With this small but highly motivated and dedicated team, we have been able to achieve extraordinary things with LogiMAT. That will always remain our bond,” he promises his employees.

The continuity of this success has been ensured. At LogiMAT 2023, the most successful show in the event’s history, Kazander handed off the last of his responsibilities to Michael Ruchty, who had already assumed responsibility as Exhibition Director for LogiMAT Stuttgart. “I have learned a lot from Peter Kazander over the last years. Now it’s time for me to take the reins of LogiMAT Stuttgart on my own and fill his shoes as best I can,” acknowledges Ruchty upon his predecessor’s retirement.

But this is a gradual goodbye: Kazander remains Managing Director of LEG, running LogiMAT China and responsible for the success of the second LogiMAT | Intelligent Warehouse in Bangkok, Thailand, where Logistics Business will be exhibiting.

Bigger & Better: AntwerpXL ’23

Posted on by David Priestman

Upwards of 3,700 delegates from the likes of Caterpillar, Vestas, Shell, Solvay, Sumitomo, Thyssenkrupp, Desmet Ballestra, Siemens, Storaenso, ArcelorMittal, and many more, will visit AntwerpXL this November to connect, learn and do business.

The industry’s best and brightest will share their ideas and insights during the three-day Main Deck conference, and the much-celebrated XL 40 Under 40 will return to champion the next generation of industry leaders.

C.Steinweg, Conti-Lines, MSC, Spliethoff, Fednav, BBC Chartering, Konecranes, Varamar, and Zuidnatie are just a few of the industry stalwarts making up this year’s exciting exhibition. On top of that, visitors will have the chance to enjoy an exclusive tour of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a recruitment day, a champagne reception, an after-party, project cargo forwarding training sessions, and so much more.

Margaret Dunn, Portfolio Director at AntwerpXL, says, “Antwerp has one of the busiest maritime ports in the world, which handled over 12 million tonnes of breakbulk last year. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges hosts 1,400 companies and has over 15 terminals dedicated to breakbulk. That, on top of its strategic location at the crossroads of major European transport corridors, makes Antwerp the home of breakbulk.

“AntwerpXL is much the same, the highlight of the diary for everyone in the industry, and we’re so excited to be returning in 2023, bigger and better than ever before. Building on the success of last year, AntwerpXL 2023 will have more exhibitors, more knowledge sharing, and more opportunities to network and do business. We look forward to seeing you all in November!”

REGISTER NOW: AntwerpXL, the world’s only event dedicated exclusively to breakbulk, project cargo and heavy lift, will return to the Antwerp Expo, Belgium, 28 – 30 November 2023.

Multimodal Impact on Sustainability

Posted on by David Priestman

It’s a competitive world out there, and every organization comes up with its best strategy to maximize its hold on its market share. With the ascendancy of e-commerce channels needling the conversation towards customer retention and more significant satisfaction metrics with days passing by – the supply chain industry has its task cut out to match the goals set out by the ever-increasing success metrics.

And, to tap into the presented market opportunities, a company’s logistic leg is at the epicentre to carry much of the heavy lifting, more so when accelerated delivery process is becoming the main driver to generate better revenue statements on a regular quarterly basis. But ensuring faster deliveries comes with a tag of solid infrastructure which subsequently means more investment from the company’s management. However, if planned right, the transit balance sheet might not necessarily be a burden on management. More so if the opted shipment network is multimodal.

Multimodal transit, by definition, involves optimized usage of every possible mode of transportation to reduce overall shipping costs and also ensure a large quantity of product movement. This could include air, waterways, rail and road collectively or in some combination per an organization’s need. The benefit of multimodal conveyance includes saving time in the context of large shipments and furthering operations under approved financial guidelines while not limited to demography constraints (for international cargo movement). But the most significant advantage that swings the conversation of integrated transportation in its favour – is its contribution to sustainability.

Multimodal Transportation & Sustainability

Shipping goods through integrated transportation holds an edge over singular transit methods as it collectively narrows down on the overall carbon & related GHG emissions. Let’s put this exercise into theory; a single rail freight movement can cover hundreds of trucks relying on road networks responsible for tons of CO2 emissions annually. And when it comes to international shipments, multimodal transit, with its involvement of waterways and railways, combines to reduce close to 63% of emissions when put in context to truck shipments.

With intelligent freight planning across various modes, a value chain management can make the most of integrated transit for its virtue of cost-effectiveness and also lower overall emissions capping. Here are a few essential pointers underlining multimodal transportation’s impact on scale and operational value.

Can Traverse Geographical Limitations

For supply chain industries across Europe, seaway transit is one of the crucial pillars of its logistical application. With countries sharing international water borders, integrated transport acts as a significant foundation for trade pacts across nations while keeping the metrics of scalability & emissions well in check. Simply put, combined transportation acts as a boon for supply chain management looking to enhance their business across the globe.

Equal load distribution across transportation modes

With multimodal transit, a company’s daily logistical transaction gets an intelligent edge, keeping one mode of transportation from bearing all the brunt of the shipment. For instance, an organization deciding to ship all its products via road stands to leave a larger carbon footprint than integrated shipping.

Better prospect for sustainability

With its lower emissions application value running parallel to the sustainability goals, multimodal transit has become a boon in the organization’s roadmap toward minimizing its GHG footprint. On the back of active investment in titular transportation, especially in Europe, where its application is set to see an increase to the north of 80% by 2050, integrated shipment will hold the key to a more competent and sustainable logistical process.

While it may seem a lot of hard work managing multiple modes of transportation, intelligent logistical platforms with their intuitive dashboards & advanced machine learning interface nullify complications in overseeing shipment operations irrespective of the scale. 3SC, with its range of end-to-end supply chain services, sidelines potential bottlenecks in an organization’s value chain operation to give them intelligent foresight helping them oversee the entire procedure from production to delivery.

Extensions to Ship Charters on North Sea Routes

Posted on by David Priestman

P&O Ferries has confirmed its long term commitment to its North Sea routes by extending the charter agreement with Bore Ltd on the MS Norsky and MS Norstream, boosting the flow of trade between Belgium and the UK, and maintaining its presence on the Zeebrugge-Teesport and Zeebrugge-Tilbury routes for the long term.

The three-year extension to the charter agreement ensures that freight customers will be able to rely on regular P&O Ferries’ services to key routes across the North Sea. The MS Norsky and MS Norstream play a vital role in linking customers to P&O Ferries’ Zeebrugge hub, unlocking access to freight destinations across Europe.

As well as extending charter agreements on the MS Norsky and MS Norstream, P&O Ferries has reinforced its commitment to the Zeebrugge-Teesport route through a separate extension of the MS Finnpulp charter agreement with Finnlines. The MS Finnpulp will continue serving the route on two midweek sailings a week, giving customers more options on the key trading routes between the UK and Belgium.

The extension of key charter agreements ensures the continuation of P&O Ferries’ 30-year presence at Teesport where P&O Ferries manages a specialised terminal and berth, providing an exceptional service to our customers at the port.

Ship Charters

Peter Hebblethwaite, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said: “Our continued cooperation with Bore Ltd and Finnlines is in response to the importance of our North Sea routes to our customers, who are playing a key role in ensuring smooth trade between Europe and the UK.

“We’re delighted to be reinforcing our presence on our North Sea routes and ensuring our customers continue to receive great service and consistent sailings between Zeebrugge and our UK ports in the years ahead.”

P&O is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics group at the heart of Europe’s economy and a part of DP World, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions and enabler of the flow of trade across the globe. P&O Ferries is a major provider of freight transport and passenger travel services, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. Working closely with P&O Ferries, its logistics business P&O Ferrymasters operates integrated road and rail links to countries across the continent including Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain and Romania, and facilitates the onward movement of goods to Europe from Asian countries via the Silk Road.

Concerns over Human Rights in Supply Chains

Posted on by David Priestman

More than two-thirds of chief executives at British companies are concerned about human rights issues in their supply chains, research has suggested. A survey, commissioned by procurement consultancy Proxima, surveyed 1,000 UK CEOs about their approach to supply chain issues.

It found that 67% are concerned with potential issues around human rights and labour rights. Concern is highest in the construction sector (77%), leisure and hospitality (77%), retail (72%), and the food and beverage manufacturing sector (70%), the survey found.

It comes as companies come under increasing scrutiny for emissions and human rights issues across their operations. According to the survey, almost half of UK bosses – 49% – said they expect to spend more time focussing on supply chain issues in the next 12 months.
It found that 42% are considering “onshoring” – moving their entire supply chain to their home country – as a way to prevent disruption and improve transparency.

Meanwhile, 36% said they are looking at “nearshoring” – moving supply chains to countries closer to the UK.

Simon Geale, executive vice president and chief procurement officer at Proxima, said: “Addressing human rights issues across the supply chain is a huge challenge for businesses and it is clearly high up on the agenda for CEOs. We’ve seen a number of businesses fall victim to human rights issues and, as we see increased scrutiny from customers and regulators, supply chain transparency is going to become increasingly critical. This is the emerging priority for CEOs at a time when business leaders are spending more time than ever tackling supply chain issues.”

The UK private sector has seen movement to tackle supply chain issues in recent years through initiatives like the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, Scope 3 Peer Group, AIM-Progress and the Sustainable Procurement Pledge.
Unilever has been using satellite tracking to monitor deforestation and behavioural patterns around key factories while IMB has developed a supply chain solution blockchain technology, used by companies like Vodafone.

James Butcher, CEO of Supply Pilot, a tech platform that allows companies to better engage with their suppliers, said: “The supply chain disruption continues and this is why so many CEOs are focused on their supply chains. But this unfortunately is at the expense of progress on sustainability as reflected in the poor strategies on supply chain decarbonisation. I believe this is because of the internal narrative reflecting it as an either/or decision on where to focus, whereas a good supplier engagement programme focused on more sustainable and responsible procurement can address both the E and the S of ESG but also delivers more resilient supply chains.”

Neil Robson (pictured), partner at Katten UK, added:

“The fact that 67% of polled UK CEOs are concerned about human rights issues in their supply chains is testament to the fact that ESG is now well-and-truly coming of age. The “S” – the social element of the Environmental, Social and Governance framework used by firms and investors to assess an organization’s business practices – has long taken second or third place to environmental sustainability issues and good governance. However, given ESG’s evolution from ethical investing and ‘corporate social responsibility’, the social element has to remain in focus.

“Concerns with potential issues around human rights/ labour rights in the supply chain seem to have been growing in recent years, following requirements for UK businesses to adhere to the UK Modern Slavery Act, which has been in force since October 2015. As a world-leading piece of legislation, it sets out a range of measures on how modern slavery and human trafficking must be dealt with in the UK and focuses (at section 54) on ‘Transparency in Supply Chains‘. As the survey notes, addressing human rights issues across the supply chain is a huge challenge, but nonetheless supply chain transparency is a potential area of risk that is becoming increasingly critical – especially where those supply chains are overseas, opaque and unclear. Businesses that hold themselves out as ESG-compliant must address their sustainability and good governance, but they must also understand their impact on their entire supply chain and do their best to ensure they are doing the right thing for all concerned.”

New Shareholder of Duisburg Gateway Terminal

Posted on by David Priestman

PSA International Pte Ltd (PSA), headquartered in Singapore, has signed agreements to acquire a 22 percent minority stake in Duisburg Gateway Terminal GmbH (DGT). The transaction is subject to the approval of Germany’s competition and supervisory authorities. Upon completion of transaction, PSA will join Hupac, HTS and Duisport as shareholders of DGT.

Located in the Port of Duisburg, DGT will be the first 100% climate-neutral inland container terminal located in the European hinterlands.

“We are pleased to have gained an important strategic partner for the DGT company in PSA, which will contribute significantly to the success of the Duisburg Gateway Terminal with its various business segments in Europe, Asia and worldwide. This network expansion strengthens both the competitive diversity and the further diversification of the Port of Duisburg. The topic of supply chain diversification has an increasingly important meaning,” says Duisport CEO Markus Bangen.

Tan Chong Meng, Group CEO of PSA, says, “We are excited to become a partner in Duisburg Gateway Terminal, alongside its existing shareholders Duisport, HUPAC and HTS. As part of Europe’s largest and most sustainable inland port, DGT will be a key gateway in providing green logistics services to Germany’s dense industrial hinterland. Leveraging PSA’s global ports and supply chain network as well as its strong presence in continental Europe, PSA aims to strengthen the DGT partnership and support Germany’s green energy transition in line with our strategic focus towards enabling smoother, more resilient and sustainable trade.”

The construction of the trimodal DGT is on schedule and is considered a model project for the future of logistics. With an area of 235,000 square meters, DGT will be the largest container terminal in the European hinterland when completed. The first construction phase is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2024.

PSA International (PSA) is a leading global port operator and trusted supply chain partner to cargo stakeholders. PSA’s ports and cargo solutions portfolio comprises over 60 deep-sea, rail and inland terminals, across 160 locations in 42 countries – including two flagship port operations in Singapore and Belgium, as well as affiliated businesses in supply chain management, logistics, marine and digital services. Drawing on the deep expertise and experience from a diverse global team, PSA collaborates with its customers and partners to develop world-class port ecosystems, deliver innovative cargo solutions and co-create an Internet of Logistics to accelerate the shift towards sustainable trade.

Duisburger Hafen AG is the ownership and management company of the Port of Duisburg, the largest inland port in the world. The Duisport Group offers full-service packages for the port and logistics location in the areas of infra- and supra-structure including settlement management. In addition, the subsidiaries provide logistics services such as the establishment and optimization of transport and logistics

Open Door to Future of Industrial Automation

Posted on by David Priestman

At the SPS manufacturing event in Parma, Italy, Bonfiglioli presented technologies including its mechatronic solutions for industrial automation, packaging and intralogistics, robotics and IoT.

The flow pack packaging process requires automatic machines that can keep up with high production rates, for which Bonfiglioli offers a wide range of compact, modular, dynamic and high-precision drive and control solutions for both horizontal and vertical forming, filling and sealing machines. These include the package on display during the three-day event, featuring a TQ in-line high precision planetary gearbox combined with a BMD permanent magnet synchronous servomotor and AxiaVert smart inverter, the latter characterised by high application versatility. In addition, the company is able to ensure maximum handling speed for finished products during the palletization process thanks to a solution that incorporates our BMD synchronous servomotor, Series A right-angle gear unit and ANG Series servo inverter.

Two intralogistics solutions were also presented at the fair. The first solution for post & parcel use and airport baggage handling systems consisted of a compact right-angle Series A gear unit available in a wide torque range, the IE4-certified BSR synchronous reluctance motor – an ecological and high-performance product thanks to the absence of magnets, and a DGM MPM decentralized inverter with sensorless vector operation for optimal dynamics control. The second solution designed for roller conveyors combined the EVOX CP helical in-line gearbox with smooth surface that can be fitted to any machine thanks to its compatibility with market standards, the MXN asynchronous low-voltage e-motor (IE3) developed to be modular, reliable, energy efficient and internationally certified, and a DGM MPM sensorless inverter.

Visitors got an up-close look at the two successful applications designed in partnership with Modula S.p.a. and I.DE S.r.l., for which Bonfiglioli has developed complete and tailor-made technical solutions.

The latest frontier in mobile collaborative robotics applications

Bonfiglioli also showcased its technologies for Cartesian, delta and articulated robots, the latter solution consisting of a custom precision planetary gearbox and servomotor developed for ABB.
Still in the field of mobile robotics applications, there was a strong interest in BlueRoll: the platform of high-performing wheel-mounted gearmotors for AGVs and AMRs with an ultra-compact and energy-efficient design for a long operating cycle. The modular drive system comes in three configurations, Basic, Advanced and Compact, with a customisable single gearbox load ranging from 360 to 1020 kg and a maximum speed of 2m/s.

Bonfiglioli’s IoT enables condition monitoring and predictive maintenance

Downtime, sudden breakdowns, high maintenance costs, short life spans and collateral damage to assets are some of the greatest issues faced by industrial machinery manufacturers and operators. As a technological partner, the Bologna-based group offers condition monitoring and predictive maintenance services, as well as post-sales assistance. Bonfiglioli responds to customer needs to monitor the general status of gearboxes and motors with its IoT platform, thanks to the presence of sensors capable of measuring performance, consumption and cycle times by monitoring significant parameters such as vibrations or temperature. The predictive maintenance service, on the other hand, helps prevent damage and downtime by making key data accessible to predict technical assistance interventions in advance.

“We have designed specific sensors for Bonfiglioli motors and gearboxes,” commented Marco Bertoldi – Global Sales & Business Development Director at Bonfiglioli. “The recent acquisition of Selcom Group S.p.A. has allowed us to expand our knowledge of engineering and design for the integration of electronics into our mechanical solutions, enhancing our offer of turnkey mechatronic solutions”, he concluded, highlighting the advantages of this collaboration, with the customised DC-DC converter and display for Toyota and the customised PLC for Robopack also on display.

The Bonfiglioli Group undertakes to reduce the environmental impact of all stages along its supply chain, limiting the energy consumption of factories and plants, while developing and promoting solutions for green economy sectors such as wind power, recycling and photovoltaics. Our environmental commitment translates into innovative energy efficiency solutions and products with a low environmental impact, as we ensure a responsible supply chain: our research and development teams constantly strive to explore new ways to reduce environmental impact and create products with a reduced carbon footprint. In the 4.0 area at SPS dedicated to sustainability, the EVOX ecosystem, featuring the CP range of high-performance coaxial gear units, BXN IE3 asynchronous motors and Agile series inverters, is ideal for applications that require precision and flexibility.

New Pallet Range Launched by Kite

Posted on by David Priestman

Leading online packaging supplier, Kite Packaging, has updated its new pallet range to include eco-friendly nestable and rackable plastic pallets as well as timber and presswood pallets.

Kite’s durable, lightweight and cheap nestable pallets provide a long-lasting solution for palletising goods. Their impressive dynamic capacity offers the best of both worlds with no compromise on functionality or cost-effectivity. The rackable pallets are suitable for warehouse racking and provide a cost-effective solution for efficiently storing palletised goods. Thanks to being heavy duty, they are ideal for long distance shipping, including export.

Both contain 100% recycled content and are recyclable upon disposal, feeding a circular economy.

New Pallet

The company’s timber-heated pallets are ISPM15 compliant and suitable for global exports. Made from strong timber sourced from sustainably managed resources, these pallets have the integral strength for reuse. Their four way forklift and pump truck entry makes for easy loading and unloading.

Kite’s presswood pallets are made from saw dust and recycled wood chips with no traces of plastic. These are nestable and conserve space when stored, in transit and not in use.
This new pallet range is available at market-beating prices with further discounts available when buying wholesale quantities.

Kite loves solving packing problems using expertise to ensure customers are using the right range of products for their business. No matter how simple or complicated packaging is, their skill is ensuring the right solution. With over 2,500 standard products and tens of thousands bespoke lines in stock, Kite provide a Just-in-Time solution available immediately.

New 20,000 m² Warehouse in Istanbul

Posted on by David Priestman

In the year of cargo-partner’s fifth anniversary in Türkiye, the international transport and logistics provider has opened a new iLogistics Center with 20,000 m² of warehouse space in Istanbul. Close to the new Istanbul airport and the region’s main seaports, and ideally connected to Europe via North Marmara Highway, the Center offers a wide range of logistics services to cargo-partner’s customers in Türkiye.

With a total storage area of 20,000 m², including 5,850 m² of bonded warehouse space, cargo-partner’s iLogistics Center Istanbul represents a new milestone for the company’s organization in Türkiye. The new iLogistics Center will create more than 85 new jobs, increasing the total number of cargo-partner employees in Türkiye to almost 250 by the end of the year. cargo-partner established its Türkiye branch in 2018 and now offers its services at eleven locations in the country. The company’s particular strengths in Türkiye include temperature-controlled foodstuffs shipments as well as EMERGENCY services by air and road. In addition, to combat the recent driver shortages in Europe, the logistics provider is offering a growing number of short sea services as an alternative to trucking.

Over 20,000 pallet slots and flexible multi-modal services

The warehouse provides a capacity of more than 20,000 pallet slots and has 17 loading docks for all vehicle types, enabling fast trans-shipment, customs bonded warehousing and distribution throughout the region. The facility’s modern design allows for efficient handling and storage of oversized goods, flexible multi-modal services and comprehensive high-tech logistics solutions. Part of the new warehouse is dedicated to fulfilment services, including a parcel pickup and return point. The warehouse is an important addition to cargo-partner’s network in the region and was added due to strong demand from cargo-partner’s customers for warehousing services.

New head office for cargo-partner in Türkiye

In addition to the warehouse facility, the building also contains modern office spaces, providing the new base of operations for cargo-partner’s head office in Türkiye. “Istanbul is not just the heart of trade in Türkiye, but also a major hub for the entire surrounding region. This year we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye along with the 40th anniversary of cargo-partner and the fifth anniversary of cargo-partner in Türkiye – a perfect occasion to diversify our services and strengthen our position in the country. This new, intelligent logistics facility will enable us to provide a range of fulfillment services for online retailers and meet the requirements of current and future logistics challenges,” said Kürşad Tanrıverdi, Managing Director of cargo-partner Türkiye.

Group-wide support of earthquake relief efforts

Since Türkiye was struck by devastating earthquakes in February 2023, cargo-partner’s country and corporate management have been working side by side with non-profit organizations to support local relief activities. The logistics provider has sent numerous trucks with much-needed supplies to the worst-affected areas: from water, food, blankets and hygiene products up to container houses, emergency tents, generators and tools. In addition, the company collected a total of 200,000 euros, donated by employees and the management, which were used to help those affected by the earthquakes. Most recently, during Türkiye’s Sacrifice Feast in June, cargo-partner organized a truck shipment of foodstuffs, hygiene products and bottled water to support families in the province of Hatay in Southern Türkiye.

Combilift is Positive Move for Greencore Homes

Posted on by David Priestman

Greencore manufactures homes that set a new standard for low carbon construction, coupled with energy efficiency and low carbon living. The company has big ambitions for the future, aiming to deliver over 10,000 Climate Positive homes across the south of England by 2035.

Greencore recently moved to a new 30,000 ft² facility in Bicester, where it produces its innovative Biond closed timber frame panels, insulated with natural materials, the output of which is currently enough for more than 200 homes per year. The off-site manufacturing process enables the timber frame superstructure to be erected quickly and safely, and a home is air tight and water tight just two weeks after the first panel arrives on site.

One of Factory Manager Rob Bresnahan’s early tasks for the new premises was to find a forklift that was suitable for handling the diverse mix of incoming raw materials, as well as ideally being able to lift and move the sizeable and bulky finished panels around the factory and yard areas. Using just one truck for multiple tasks, in the storage, production and outside areas was obviously going to be a more efficient and cost effective investment. And given the nature of the company’s homes – which are targeted to be better than net zero in terms of whole life embodied carbon – electric power was a further prerequisite.

An evaluation of a number of truck brands on the market eventually led to the Irish forklift manufacturer Combilift, which has focussed on expanding its electric range over the past five years or so. With a wide choice of models, Rob went for the Combi-CB4E – a 4t capacity compact counterbalance design truck. Its versatility enables it to handle pallets of the insulation materials, packs of timber which can be 5m long and weigh up to 3000kg, and the sizeable finished wall, floor and roof panels. Its multidirectional capability, which was one of the selling points for Rob, also allows for safe, low level sideways transportation of the largest loads, enabling widths between stacked products to be kept at a minimum. As production volumes increase, this space saving handling will become even more of an advantage.

“A number of factors influenced our decision to replace an old LPG counterbalance truck with the Combilift,” said Rob. “I’d had previous dealings with the manufacturer and was impressed with the quality of products, their reputation in the industry and the level of customer service. The CB’s size, lift capacity, manoeuvrability and emission -free operation is perfect for our handling requirements.”

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