Thursday, May 23, 2013
Posted by admin on July 10, 2012
Most U.S. products – totaling some 90-95 percent – are transported in corrugated cardboard boxes. Most of these containers are used commercially only once. This excessive use of cardboard accounts for 12.2 percent of the nation’s municipal solid waste stream and significantly hinders efforts to preserve the environment. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on June 18, 2012
In today’s material handling industry, many companies are taking steps to make their work processes more efficient. Whether it’s for the environmental benefits or to get ahead of competition, the pressure of going green is ever present. As a result, material handling businesses around the world have been working to come up with business strategies to produce material with as little waste as possible. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on June 6, 2012
Our team at the Material Handling Connection would like to extend a warm welcome to our new partners: Maryland Industrial Trucks, Delta Materials Handling, Inc., Prolift Equipment and Wisconsin Lift Truck Corp.
Who are our new partners?
MARYLAND INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS – Dealership offering a complete line of lift trucks, material handling equipment, industrial trucks, sweepers, scrubbers, litter collection equipment, asphalt equipment, environmental products, inspection systems and lead loaders. Supports all equipment with parts, service, rental, financing and training.
DELTA MATERIALS HANDLING, INC. – Full-service dealer in Memphis, Tennessee for forklifts, lift trucks, yard ramps, tow motors and other used pneumatic materials handling equipment and parts. Brands include Clark, Linde, Bendi, Drexel and Mitsubishi.
PROLIFT EQUIPMENT – Full-service forklift and aerial equipment dealership in seven locations.
WISCONSIN LIFT TRUCK CORP. – New and used equipment provider in addition to service, parts and training. Serving Wisconsin and upper Michigan since 1962.
What does it mean to become one of our partners?
The Material Handling Connection provides lead generation and marketing services for material handling companies across the U.S. You essentially become an extension of our brand if you become our partner. What do we do, you ask? In addition to marketing services, we provide material handling insights, news and best practices in the form of a blog. Interested in becoming a partner? Contact our Executive Sales Representative, Matt Witte, at mwitte@abstraktmg.com.
We hope to have the opportunity to partner with you and your team.
Posted by admin on May 30, 2012
While manufacturers, distributors and others are in constant motion trying to keep the supply chain moving and growing, there is always time to stop and help others. NACCO Materials Group, Inc. and its local dealer, Papé Material Handling in Portland, OR, partnered up to donate one of its Hyster electric reach trucks to the Portland Art Museum. This donation was a small token of appreciation for all the Portland Art Museum does for the local community and the Pacific Northwest. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on May 23, 2012
Online retailer – Amazon – recently paid $775 million in cash to acquire Kiva Systems, Inc., an ecommerce fulfillment company and manufacturer of robotics. According to a Modern Materials Handling article on the purchase back in March, many people were shocked upon hearing the news.
Why so much surprise? While it is estimated that Kiva Systems generates around $100 million in annual revenue (actual sales reports have not been released), no other material handling company has received this kind of multiple in a sale. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on May 9, 2012
Back in January 2012, President Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address and made it a point to emphasize that the White House will be taking steps to develop the country’s natural gas supply. He laid out his plan to develop every available source of American energy, including the safe and responsible production of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on May 1, 2012
Workers are constantly on the move with inbound and outbound deliveries, operating machinery and – as of recently – implementing new processes to make their business a greener workspace.
Because warehouses are known for having enormous overhead costs, many of them have shifted into greener practices to maximize their return on investment. Such businesses are revisiting the fundamentals: reduce, reuse and recycle. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on April 24, 2012
Scholarships – most often awarded for high ACT and SAT scores – have taken on new meaning. A scholarship program for students to embrace the world of manufacturing is making the headlines.
Perhaps unknown to some, there is a shortage of skilled manufacturers. To combat this issue, Dayton Progress Corporation in Ohio – a worldwide leader in precision metal fabrication – has announced a “manufacturing challenge.” This challenge is to bring awareness to careers in manufacturing and will target Dayton area high school students.
THE CHALLENGE
The Dayton Progress Manufacturing Challenge consists of a prize valued at over $40,000 and will be awarded to the high school with the most creative and effective promotional program of career opportunities in manufacturing. The winning school will receive state-of-the-art manufacturing computer technology (hardware and software) in addition to student scholarships.
While careers in manufacturing are some of the most unique (and high-paying), they don’t receive the credit they deserve given that manufacturing jobs typically do not require a college degree. Therefore, there is minimal – if any – focus on the manufacturing industry in secondary schools. Dayton Progress Corporation has created this challenge to reward schools and their students who honor the industry through awareness.
Not all students see the college experience as part of their future. For those who do, a career in manufacturing can still be their chosen path. This challenge will give four select students the opportunity to explore the industry while still in high school through a paid after-school internship. The goal of the internship is two fold: to provide high quality training in manufacturing and also to provide leeway into a full-time position (in lieu of college or post college).
“Dayton Progress is pleased to be taking a leadership role in the effort to alleviate the severe shortage of skilled workers through awareness of manufacturing careers,” President & CEO Alan Shaffer said in a Modern Materials Handling article. “As one of the largest area manufacturers, we want to make high school students aware of the high-paying career opportunities in this region. It is also important to reward those schools and their students who do the best job of career awareness development,” Shaffer said.
Posted by admin on April 10, 2012
In any warehouse or manufacturing plant, products inevitably break or become damaged. But then there are those million-dollar mistakes that happen sometimes, like the Australian wine maker who dropped $1M worth of Shiraz wine due to a malfunctioning forklift. This mistake cost winemaker, Sparky Marquis, one-third of his annual production. This disaster – described by Marquis as looking like a murder scene – is on the more extreme side. The normal everyday broken products (maybe one out of every 100 batches) don’t make the headline news or cost the salary of nine employees to fix. The bottom line is that mistakes do occur and – in most cases – they are preventable. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
Posted by admin on April 3, 2012
How often should I have my racks inspected? Who should do the inspections? These are important questions that deserve special attention. Damaged pallet racks could cause severe injuries (or death) to an employee, warehouse visitor or to the products they are supporting. Also, keep in mind that pallet rack inspections are required by law. Have you inspected yours this year? WAIT! There is more to read… read on »