Combilift - The Interview
Adding safety to customised materials handling solutions
This month's FLTA Safety Conference aims to encourage UK industry to adopt safer working practices in materials handling and logistics. As part of the safety drive, there is clearly a case for industrial trucks that remove the need to move around with elevated long loads; reduce truck numbers on site; and protect drivers in accidents. This is where Irish-based truck manufacturer Combilift comes in, with its range of Combilift-branded four-way forklifts combining the functions of counterbalance forklifts and side loaders and incorporating many advanced safety features. Robert Moffett, Technical Director, and Martin McVicar, Managing Director, founded Combilift Ltd in 1998. Since then the company has grown massively and in June 2006 moved to larger premises in Monaghan, Ireland, with a grand opening featuring Irish Enterprise Minister Michael Martin TD and guests from around the world. Some 6,500 Combilift trucks are currently in operation worldwide, and the forward order book is very healthy. Martin McVicar spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
 Warehouse & Logistics News - Martin, first of all, with the FLTA Safety Conference approaching, what are your key messages about safer working practices?
Customers should source the best forklift for their application, and allow only certified operators to use them. Safety precautions should include keypad entry systems: these are not yet compulsory in Britain but should be!
There should be more stringent checks. It should also be forbidden to move loads over distances with forks raised above certain heights. This would prevent many incidents in UK warehouses.
In the US loads are restricted to traveling within 2ft (60mm) of the floor, but we've nothing similar here. The CE mark's overhead guard tests should include impact tests. Here cabs only need to withstand small loads; in the US under ANSI B56.1 standard trucks rated for three tonnes must withstand this weight dropping on the guard.
WLN - Was safety a key factor in developing the Combilift concept?
Yes, alongside saving space. We felt it advantageous for users to be able to rest the load on the Combilift's main body while traveling, unlike traditional four-way machines; hence extra support was a major ambition. Most forklifts' forks are 1m wide, so loads 6m long become very unstable; we offer support over a 2m span, so with a Combilift operators can handle long loads safely in outdoor yards and on rough terrain.
WLN - Can you remind us of Combilift's other key features?
Combilift is the world's first IC engine-powered all-wheel-drive multidirectional forklift. It combines a forklift and a side-loader, and is highly manoeuvrable and very safe. Combilift's other benefits include increased productivity, operator- and maintenance-friendly operation and reduced product damage.
WLN - Talking about safety, what are the commonest accidents and incidents involving industrial trucks?
According to the Health & Safety Executive's data from 1997-2001, the major areas include truck overturns and falling loads; accidents involving moving trucks and pedestrians; and accidents or incidents involving trapping, shearing and crushing.
WLN - Taking overturns and falling loads first, what are the statistics?
According to HSE figures, 9% of major accidents are caused by truck overturns; 33% of fatal truck accidents are from overturns; 17% of accidents involve operatives struck by falling loads; a major cause of overturns is turning with the mast raised.
 WLN - What are the figures for accidents involving trucks and pedestrians?
The HSE 1997-2001 Survey shows 49% of reported accidents involving pedestrians being struck by moving trucks. These incidents account for 28% of fatalities in this area. Some 13% of reported accidents were due to collisions with trucks, 2% of them fatal.
WLN - What difference would a Combilift make?
A Combilift avoids elevated travel, by transporting long loads sideways while resting the load on the platform. This also reduces product damage. Using one Combilift for all handling, rather than various forklifts, cuts truck movements round a site, reducing the number of collisions and, again, the amount of product damage.
Next, the Combilift's cab design plus low-level transportation of loads guarantees excellent visibility for safer manoeuvering. Finally, the Combilift forklift and cab's robust construction offers excellent driver protection. All Combilift cabins are designed to withstand impacts and falling objects to the ANSI B56.1 standard.
WLN - Have you got any customer testimonials?
We can provide specific customer case studies, but customers themselves are often happy to endorse our products to interested parties.
Some initial customers are now replacing old Combilifts with new ones, further testament to the quality and strength of the Combilift concept. We also have testimonies from customers who have replaced several different trucks with one Combilift. In this competitive environment smaller businesses can't always afford several forklifts, so a truck combining the benefits of FLT, side loader and reach truck is a boon.
WLN - Are UK end users getting better at using forklift trucks safely?
The UK is one of the world's safest workplaces, much better than five years ago, but operators can still only function as safely as the machine allows! There were a lot of compromises with long and awkward loads: now the Combilift allows these loads to be handled more safely in confined areas narrower than the length of the item being moved, such as 6m pieces of timber going through 4m doors.
WLN - What proportion of UK companies use forklifts safely?
Virtually all medium to large companies operate trucks as safely as they can, as managers are individually responsible for accidents. But productivity pressures can still create environments where accidents can occur. In second and third shift operations generally, safety is more compromised than day shifts: it's literally a 'twilight zone.'
WLN - Do you provide safety training?
We supply manuals, operator workbooks and DVDs free to people training Combilift operators. We also carry out random audits into truck use, which generates many design improvements.
WLN - What more can be done to avoid operators taking risks?
Free or subsidised operator training would ensure all operators were fully trained. Training is an investment that shouldn't be compromised: nobody can put a price on safety.
WLN - Forklift trucks are getting faster and higher spec. What should be done to forklifts and side loaders to make them safer to use?
Limiters are a good approach. On certain sites operators and managers value speed: in many timber yards sideloaders travel in a circle at up to 13-14mph. Redesigning facilities with shorter distances can produce major improvements. Some larger companies focus on lean processes: if distribution companies did too, travel speeds wouldn't be so important. Speed will become less crucial as companies focus on saving space as land becomes more expensive and invest in higher warehouses for more efficient operations.
WLN - Let's talk about Combilift now. Do you still have formal connections with the Moffett business? What is your connection with Aisle-Master?
We have no connections at all: The Moffett Company was sold in September 1997. Aisle-Master is a separate business, concentrating on palletised goods: it's privately owned, headed by Gerry McHugh, Gerry Harte and Robert and I are two of the shareholders.
WLN - What is your annual turnover?
It's currently £45m, growing over 20% annually.
WLN - You recently moved to larger premises. How big is the new site?
The new site, which we opened in June 2006, is 46 acres, including our 110,000 sq ft manufacturing plant and R&D centre. We have 170 people on site. We're currently producing 36 units per week but could make one Combilift per hour.
WLN - How much have you invested in the new factory?
Excluding land, we've invested £7m. We had support from the Irish government to build the R&D centre.
WLN - How easy is it to find suitable manufacturing staff?
It's not difficult. This is a rural area and many people are from a farming background, so they're usually mechanically minded.
WLN - What proportion of sales come from the UK?
Some 20% is from the UK, and 30% from the US. The balance is from around 40 countries worldwide including the enlarged Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Canada. Our current export focus is on the Middle East - the Emirates and Saudi - and Russia.
WLN - Who handles your US sales?
Tommy Cadden heads our sales from our facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. We work with local partners for parts and service, and have arrangements with over 50 regional forklift truck dealers and over 300 service locations. Unlike Europe, where the main reason for buying Combilifts is saving space, in the US land is cheaper but safer handling is a priority.
WLN - What products are in the current Combilift range?
There are 15 models, from 2.5-14 tonne capacity. They include trucks with seated operators, and for 'VNA' applications the driver is standing.
They are available in IC - diesel, LP Gas and CNG - in all sizes, and electric from 2.5-5 tonnes. We're focused on exports; if a country insists on a higher spec, we incorporate this worldwide, hence we're rolling out Tier 3 emissions control standards across the range.
WLN - Which is your biggest seller?
The 4-tonne capacity is our top seller worldwide. The 4-direction sideloader introduced three years ago is the fastest growing model: it looks like a sideloader, but travels sideways, forwards and backwards including down narrow aisles.
WLN - What share do you have of the long-load sector?
We are the proven long-load global market leader. In the UK during 2006 we delivered over 300 Combilifts, more than the other four-way side loader suppliers combined. We see Combilift not just as a replacement for sideloaders, but replacing forklifts in handling long loads.
WLN - What share do you have of other market sectors?
Combilift represents 2% of all UK forklift truck sales, excluding pedestrian walk-behind machines.
WLN - How important is NPD to your business?
It's crucial: we have continued to expand the range, introducing on average one new model a year since we started, with a wide range of attachments, varying mast heights, platform sizes and so on. Our product development is based on customer feedback: new models are developed in partnership with potential users and only produced when there's a firm order.
WLN - How long is the waiting time for a new Combilift?
It's 8-12 weeks depending on model and customisation. We can deliver to the UK in 24 hours after completion.
WLN - How does the purchase price of a Combilift compare with a counterbalance forklift or a sideloader?
The larger Combilifts are similarly priced to counterbalance trucks. The smaller trucks' prices are above warehouse trucks but comparable with sideloaders. Prices vary with customisation; given their greater capability, the Combilift price tag is rarely an obstacle for companies handling long or awkward loads, and customers quickly recoup the procurement cost.
WLN - What about the ongoing maintenance and service costs?
Combilift maintenance costs compare very favourably with counterbalance IC, and are lower than four-way electric forklifts. Combilifts are simple in design and easy to operate. They have hydrostatic drive systems, with no mechanical braking to replace. All trucks produced to date are still running, some after over 170,000 hours. Individual components may need replacing, but the chassis goes on working. Used Combilifts hold value: these trucks last!
WLN - How do you sell Combilifts here?
Roy Redman, the Combilift UK Product Manager, leads our direct sales to national accounts, supported by five regional managers. We also work with various distributors, and will happily supply Combilifts to any forklift dealers with customers who want them. We have over 150 UK service locations.
WLN - What kinds of businesses are your typical end-users?
The main industrial sectors are timber - distribution, manufacturing, joinery; steel distributors and fabricators; manufacturing generally, including extruders of PVC and aluminium; concrete products; distribution businesses handling long or awkward loads; and storage or removal companies handling containers and boxes of awkward sizes.
WLN - How do Combilift machines fit into truck fleets with multiple machine types?
As mentioned our distribution arrangements give dealers freedom to include the Combilift within their fleet packages. Dealers often use the Combilift as a hook to win new customers, as it lets them sell a mixed fleet of their products and ours. Half of the Combilifts in the UK are on full maintenance contracts like other forklifts.
WLN - How can potential buyers see Combilifts in action?
With 1,600 machines in the UK there's always a Combilift user nearby. Through our dealers we have over 30 demo units, and bring trucks to customers' sites. We also have four engineers who generate application layouts showing Combilift's greater efficiencies and safety benefits.
WLN - It's your tenth anniversary soon. Any plans to celebrate?
We delivered the first Combilift in August 2008, so it's still a year away. We have plans, but nothing definite yet: we'll keep you posted!
WLN - Have you won any awards?
We've won several - DHL Exporter of the Year 2001, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2001, and the FLTA Design Achievement Award 2005.
WLN - Why do you think you're so successful?
We have a 'can do' attitude, and see customers' handling problems as opportunities to develop tailored products to meet their needs. Many of our employees are long term, and there's real teamwork.
WLN - What factors do you see affecting demand for Combilifts?
The main drivers are the desire for greater efficiency, saving space and safer materials handling, and increasing demand from companies struggling with using conventional forklifts to handle long and awkward loads.
WLN - Finally, where do you see Combilift going from here?
We plan for Combilift to continue to develop Combilift-branded products enabling customers to handle a mix of pallets and long loads with one truck. Probably 10% of material currently handled by conventional forklifts classifies as long or awkward loads, which a Combilift can manage better. The opportunity is there to double our turnover every four years.
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For further information about this company's activities in the warehouse and logistics industry please contact:
Combilift
Tel: 00353 4780 500
UK Tel: 07968 490051
www.combilift.com |
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