Most people rarely think about how handling costs affect the price of products we consume. Of course, those selling the products do!  Therefore, the wise ones make an effort to streamline operations and minimize handling costs in order to remain at the forefront within their industry.

SHIPMENTS OF WINE ON SLIPSHEETS

Northeast Sales Distributing, Inc., (Winder, Georgia), is one such company. As a leading beer and wine distributor in the Atlanta regional market, they realize the importance of maintaining a competitive edge. Two recent challenges within their receiving department pertained to product damage and labor costs. As they began to receive more shipments of wine on slipsheets, (from leading companies also lowering freight costs), they found themselves relying on a dedicated forklift fitted with a hydraulic push-pull attachment for off-loading. When this machine began to have troubles, so did they.

ROLLERFORKS

When the truck or attachment went down, they were forced to use manual labor. Not only was this time consuming but, it also resulted in escalated product damage. Northeast Sales Distributing management was reluctant about the purchase a new or used machine which would have to be dedicated it to this “sporadic task” so, they began to search for alternatives and soon discovered RollerForks®.

Within a couple weeks, they had an on-site demo provided by Meijer Handling Solutions Inc. and only minutes into the demo, they realized they had found a cost saving solution. They are now off-loading entire truck loads in a fraction of the time using just two people instead of four or five and they are doing so without damaging the goods.

Northeast Sales Distributing, Inc. is a wholesale beer and wine distributor with headquarters in Winder, Georgia and a distribution branch in Norcross, Georgia. They also have a sister company, Skyland Distributing, located in Asheville, North Carolina serving 23 western North Carolina counties.