Ohio Forklift Manufacturer Awarded $7.3 Million Military Contract

BPR/Rico Manufacturing Inc. — a Medina, Ohio, based maker of forklifts and other materials handling equipment — has been awarded a $7.3 million contract with the US Department of  Defense to make specialized spare tire carriers for the military’s Humvee vehicles, according to a company news release. The Drop Down  Spare Tire Carrier is engineered … Read more

Should You Give a Holiday Bonus? Pros, Cons and Alternatives

During the holiday season, some companies give employees a holiday bonus as a way of rewarding and recognizing all their hard work during the previous year. While certainly not mandatory, holiday bonuses or other gifts they can be small investment that brings large rewards in the form of building loyalty and positive feelings in your … Read more

Conveyor System Upgrade Reduces Dust, Maintenance at South Dakota Cement Plant

The Mission: Reduce emissions of cement dust and other “fugitive emissions” at the Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua cement plant in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Solution: An temporary shutdown of the company’s cement processing facility to upgrade its bulk material handling conveyors from top to bottom. Executives at the GCC Dakotah plant recognized that they … Read more

Former Government Official/Safety “Fanatic” Killed in Industrial Accident

A town council member from New Zealand who acquaintances said was a safety “fanatic” was killed Nov. 26  in a workplace accident. Bill Frost, 58, a former member of the Malvern Community Board and owner of his own transport services firm was killed after he was pinned between a logging truck and a forklift in … Read more

Minnesota Firm Buys Georgia Crane Technologies Company

PaR Systems Inc. — a materials handling, aerospace manufacturing, automation and robotic products company based in Shoreview, Minnesota — announced in a news release that it has purchased the major assets of CAMotion, Inc., a manufacturer of palletizing machines and other materials handling equipment based in Atlanta, Georgia. The purchase price was not disclosed. The … Read more

Duluth Forklift Operator Hailed as Hero After Rescuing Elderly Man From Freezing Harbor

The water in the Duluth, Minnesota, harbor never gets very warm, and it’s practically freezing by the time November rolls around. But that didn’t stop Zoran Pedisic, a Croatian immigrant working as a stevedore at the Minnesota port, from jumping into the frigid waters in an attempt to rescue an elderly man who was trying … Read more

Georgia Company Selected to Build New Urban Outfitters Fulfillment Center

Vanderlande Industries — a construction firm specializing in materials handling and based in Marietta, Georgia — has been awarded the contract to design and build the massive new 1-million-square-foot Urban Outfitters fulfillment center planned for Gap, Pennsylvania, according to a company news release. Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin in September of … Read more

Cement Trade Association Predicts Steady Industry Growth Through 2014

The Portland Cement Association, an organization that monitors US  cement consumption, predicted recently that the amount of cement used in construction and industry will rise 8.1% in 2014. That comes on the heels of an anticipated 4.5% growth in cement construction in 2013. PCA attributed the steady increase to pent up demand that will be … Read more

German Hoist Company Provides Lift for Blockbuster Vegas Project

JD Neuhas, the German-based manufacturer of lifts and cranes, has been selected to provide three air-operated hoists to power a 550-foot tall ferris wheel currently being constructed on the Las Vegas Strip. Known as the Las Vegas High Roller, Sin City’s newest attraction will be the world’s tallest ferris wheel and will have 28 viewing … Read more

Military Logistics Officer Recognized for Outstanding Service

Maj. Eric J. Taylor, a logistics officer with the 15th Expeditionary Unit of the US Marine Corps, has been awarded the Navy and Marine Association’s Leadership Award for 2012, according to a Marine Corps news release. Taylor was presented with the award November 19 at Camp Pendleton, in California, by Lt. Gen. John A. Toolan, commanding … Read more