First off, conveyor systems have a wide range of components which come in various sizes and weights. This meant their forklift operators were continually faced with situations requiring movement of different pallet sizes. Standard fork lengths were not sufficient for the bigger loads therefore, they had to either fit loose fork extensions or use one size of long forks to handle all loads. The fork extensions were rarely on-hand when needed and they posed safety risks due to their heavy weight and requirement for manual installation. Long forks were fine for long loads however they too, presented safety and product damage risks when operators were maneuvering through the plant with shorter loads. Even the loading dock presented challenges as short forks were insufficient for centering goods on flatbed trailers and long forks presented maneuverability issues.
Tom Moore, Account Manager for Equipment Depot quickly realized he was facing an ideal application for KOOI® ReachForks. These innovative telescopic forks would soon prove to be highly effective in achieving the cost-saving goals of the customer. Tom made the sale and shortly thereafter, the new KOOI® ReachForks were implemented allowing the customer to handle all the different load lengths and weights with just one set of forks.
By having the extendable and retractable KOOI® ReachForks, with the push of a lever, they can now adjust the forks to the correct length to safely handle the various sizes of conveyors. When loading trailers, they can now extend the forks to move loads forward without having to back up and push the load with the fork tips. This means less product damage and reduced wear and tear on the forklift. Kooi forks have also made it much easier and faster to unloadmaterials which arrive in the center of the trailer.
Easier and faster to unload materials Equipment Depot is one of the premier forklift, material handling and aerial lift equipment companies in North America. 1,750 employees sell, service, rent and provide parts and training for the leading brands of forklifts, aerial lifts and construction equipment. The company represents more than 50 quality equipment brands such as Cat Lift Trucks, Nissan, Clark, Genie, JLG, SkyTrak, New Holland and of course, KOOI® Forks sold through Reachable Solutions, LLC, (US distributor of KOOI® Forks products).
Equipment Depot® is actually five different independent operating companies strategically located throughout 13 states … from the Atlantic shore to the Great Lakes, from the Ohio River valley to the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico. Each operating company has a different product mix and its own unique approach to its market. All of the companies were acquired by Pon North America over the last ten years. Pon is one of the world’s largest family owned businesses.