Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
MHIA Forecasts 6.0-8.5% Growth in Material Handling Equipment New Orders in 2010
Material handling equipment orders contracted 37.4% in 2009 are are forecasted to grow 6.0-8.5% in 2010, according to the latest Material
Hey, some good news. Factories in our industry are definitely seeing an increase in requests for quote. Below MHIA has some positive forecasts.
Handling Equipment Manufacturing Forecast (MHEM) released by Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA).
“Industrial production activity is increasing even though factory operating rates (utilization) remain very low by historical comparison,” said Hal Vandiver, MHIA executive vice president of business development. “MHIA believes that demand created as the economy shifts from recession into recovery mode (filling supply chain pipelines, re-establishing inventories, and responding to pent up demand) is the principal impetus for improvement over the next few quarters in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution.”
In addition, material handling equipment shipments contracted 34.4% in 2009 and are forecasted to grow 1.0 to 2.0% in 2010. Domestic demand (shipments plus imports less exports) contracted 34.7% in 2009 and will grow 1.0 to 2.0% in 2010. Exports and imports will improve in 2010 at about the same rate.
The MHEM forecast of material handling equipment manufacturing is released each quarter by MHIA and looks 12 to 18 months forward to anticipate changes in the material handling and logistics marketplace.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Human Resource Executive Online - Story
The Obama administration is bringing back an ergonomics record-keeping rule issued by the Clinton administration, but rejected by former President George W. Bush. Experts, who say the proposed rule may pave the way for increased citations, advise HR leaders to proactively pay closer attention training and record-keeping issues.
By
Ergonomics is back on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's agenda, after what some might describe as an eight-year hiatus during the Bush administration.
On Jan. 29, OSHA proposed new rules that would require employers to track and report workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders. While the changes are ostensibly little more than additional record-keeping, experts warn the proposal could likely pave the way for further enforcement and rulemaking by the agency.
OSHA wants to restore a column to the OSHA 300 log that would record work-related musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal-tunnel syndrome and rotator cuff syndrome. The rules are identical to those contained in an OSHA record-keeping regulation that was issued in 2001 by the Clinton administration, but was removed in 2003 during the Bush presidency before ever going into effect.
Critics argued at the time that the definition used to describe musculoskeletal disorders was far too broad to be useful and that the new column wouldn't contain the type of detailed information that would be needed to address the problem of musculoskeletal disorders.
Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels says the column would "improve the accuracy and completeness of national work-related injury and illness data."
The agency emphasizes that the rules would not require employers to take any action other than to check the new column on the OSHA form should a work-related MSD case occur.
Experts, however, say this could be a first step in the direction of regulatory and enforcement actions.
"If I were an employer, I'd be concerned," says Jason C. Schwartz, a partner in the Washington office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
"It will increase the number of recordable incidents by broadening what might qualify as an MSD," he says. "So after collecting the data for a while, I wouldn't be surprised to see OSHA announce that there is a major MSD problem and decide to do something about it."
Schwartz says he also wouldn't be surprised to see employer groups fight the new rules in the courts, as they did the last time around.
Ashley Brightwell, a partner in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird, agrees the rules could lead to "future actions by OSHA to regulate MSDs ... and increase the number of citations being issued against employers."
OSHA, she says, is very focused right now on record-keeping violations. "So a big fear," she says, "is that by highlighting MSDs in the workplace, you're opening the door to the number of general-duty citations."
Brightwell advises employers to closely review their OSHA 300 logs and be proactive in evaluating their workplaces and eliminating any current ergonomic hazards.
OSHA considers tracking musculoskeletal disorders an important policy objective, says Mark Wilson, a principal with Applied Economic Strategies LLC in Washington. But the proposed reporting requirement includes "nothing about the nature of the disorder, what caused it or how to go about abating it."
Wilson agrees employers should be troubled by the change, since it has the potential to initiate enforcement under the general-duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Most experts predict the rules are likely to be adopted. But whatever the outcome, they say, employers should expect the agency to pay much closer attention to record-keeping in the months ahead.
"If I were an employer, I would make sure my folks are well trained and that my reporting systems are in good shape," advises Schwartz. "I also wouldn't assume that every MSD needs to be reported even if the rules do go into effect. Employers need to make sure the [incidents] are work related."
OSHA will be seeking comments on the proposed rules until March 15.
February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Custom Lifting Device Rigid Tube Manipulator
Retrofit Kit For Height Adjustment
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Portable Gantry Crane, Adjustable Gantry Crane, Steel, Aluminum Missouri
Ergonomic Partners provides Gorbel brand which has the gantry crane for your application. Gantry cranes are perfect for applications where you need a portable and economical way to lift materials anywhere in your facility. Gantry cranes are provided with durable polyurethane casters to allow ease of movement around your facility.
An overhead gantry crane provides a cost-effective lifting solution for areas of infrequent lifts than a more permanent jib crane or overhead bridge crane. These cranes provide a heavy duty end frame design with square tubing uprights, knee braces and channel base which provide a very stable base.
Safety for your gantry crane is insured with the bolted connection between the beam and upright. These cranes are pre-engineered for use with manual hoists or electric hoists. These cranes are have a factor of 15% of crane capacity for the hoist and trolley weight, with an additional 25% of the capacity allowed for impact. You can use your gantry crane at its full capacity and not worry about overloading the crane.
Gorbel Fixed height gantry cranes and adjustable gantry crane are available in capacities up to 5 ton and spans up to 30’.
Portable Gantry Crane Applications:- Lifting materials anywhere in a facility where an overhead crane is needed
- Localized handling utilizing the safety of a gantry crane
- Over machines for maintenance and pulling product using a safer crane alternative in lieu of a forklift
- Anywhere overhead lifting equipment is needed on an infrequent basis
- Industry's Best Warranty - 5 Years on Gorbel Gantry Cranes
- "If it's late, we pay the freight"
- 5 Day Quick Ship, 2 or 3 Day Quick Ship (premium service)
- Multiple shipping points - plants in NY and AL
- Local Representation – Ergonomic Partners, Inc. is a distributor for your Gorbel products
- Ease of movement - durable polyurethane casters provide low rolling resistance for easy movement
- Safety - bolted beam to upright connection to ensure that beam doesn't dislodge
- Ease of installation
Articulating Jib Cranes, Gorbel Jib Crane, Portable, I Beam, and Wall Mount Crane
Pendant Push Button Station SBP2 SBP Electromotive Magnetek
Anti-Fatigue Matting Anti Fatigue Mats Interlocking Floor Mats by Wearwell Missouri
Ergonomic Snow Shovel Protects User's Back
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Custom Lift Assist Equipment Helps Productivity and Protects against Operator Injuries

Ergonomic Partners was recently approached to design and provide custom lift assist equipment for a global safety equipment manufacturer. After several near misses on major injuries due to dropped and mishandled parts the customer was looking for a new way to handle their parts. In addition the operators were risking shoulder and back injuries due to awkwardly having to place the heavy discs into the lathes. The operators were manhandling the parts from a cart in the horizontal position like a pancake and setting on edge to then roll the part into the lathe. This was a risky move as the operator had to balance the part on edge and adjust the chuck, then muscle the part into place.
After an onsite review and consultation with the operators Ergonomic Partners provided a custom lifting device to assist operators loading and unloading the discs of lead up weighting to 100 pounds. The operators can now grip the part from the cart in a horizontal position and pitch the part 90 degrees. The tool is suspended from a balancer so the operator can float the part into the chuck for the final positioning. The operators can now do their job with greater efficiency while not worrying about injury.
Video of the tool can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q-d_931hXI .
For more information contact Ergonomic Partners at 314-766-4578 or email at sales@ergonomic partners.com
Labels: air balancer, custom lift assist, custom lifting device, zero gravity lifter
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Custom Lift Assist for Large Pump Inspection

Many companies need to inspect their parts for quality but how about a 1200# pump. Well Ergonomic Partners was asked to design and build a custom lifting device to rotate the customer's parts in all axes so they could check the parts for manufacturing defects and further assemble parts on the pump. In addition the customer wanted to have optimum control of the pump.
Ergonomic Partners design integrated a 90 degree tilt function as well as continuous 360 degree rotation so the part could be inspected in all axes. To accomplish the control the customer wanted, Magnetek Flux Vector VG+ variable frequency control was supplied which provided the customer with 1000:1 control ratio. The part can be moved so slow it is barely noticeable to the eye. This type of control is widely used on the most severe and precise hoisting applications in aerospace, steel fabrication, nuclear facilities, clam shell and bucket cranes. The unit is controlled with a Magnetek 3 speed SPB2 pushbutton station.
A full video of the custom lifting device can be seen at http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/video/Pump-Inspection-Inverter.wmv
Labels: custom lift assist, lifting device, upender
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Gorbel G-Jib
Labels: G-Force, G-Jib, Jib Crane, Zero Gravity Lift
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Saints Win Super Bowl, says Madden NFL
Monday, January 25, 2010
Overhead Bridge Crane for Machining Center
Ergonomic Partners recently provided this single girder top running bridge crane with freestanding structural steel for a Missouri manufacturing facility. This system was provided complete with turnkey installation. Note the columns are freestanding with no A-frames or bracing. The customer had very tight clearances due to existing machining centers but we squeezed it in!Labels: overhead bridge crane, structural steel
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Workplace Injuries are Down
U.S. companies reported 3.7 million work-related injuries and illnesses in 2008, the lowest in five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 7.7% lower than in 2007.
And the number of injuries severe enough to require time off work was 1.1 million, also a five-year low and down 7% from 2007, BLS said. However, the median number of days away from work, which indicates the severity of the injury, was 8 days, compared to 7 days in each of the previous 4 years.
Other findings:
- The number of injuries dropped in construction and retail industries.
- Ergonomic problems dropped to 33 cases per 10,000 full-time workers compared to 35 in 2007.
- Workers between the ages of 55 and 64 had 3% more injuries than all age groups and those over 65 had 13% more.
- The most common injuries in 2008 were sprains and strains, 39% of all work-related injuries. In 2 out of 5 of these cases, the back was injured.
The rate of injuries was higher among government workers: 6.3% - that’s 7% for local government workers and 4.7% for state employees - compared to 3.9% in private industry.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Gorbel G-Jib is Introduced!

Labels: G-Force, Gorbel, Jib Crane, Lift Assist, Zero Gravity Lift
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Electric Chain Hoists in Stock

Do you need an electric chain hoist right away? We can help with our full line of stocked hoists. We carry CM, Yale, Demag, JD Neuhaus, Coffing, Budgit in stock for immediate delivery. With an order in the morning most hoists are shipped the same day.
Labels: ecommerce, electric chain hoists
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Vacuum Box Handling for Stacking Overhead
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Gorbel Workstation Crane System with Multiple Bridges
Did you know that you can have Gorbel systems with 2 or more bridges and not have to mess with festooning. In the past on systems with more than two systems some customers have utilized c-track to run additional festoon conductors. Well, you can utilize hard bar electrification. Pick your brand, Electromotive, Insul-8, Duct-O-Bar or whatever you use in your plant. Note that four bars are utilized on the system. This is required by NEC but even more important as Gorbel wheels are not metal and thus do not ground the system.Labels: Duct-O-Bar, Electromotive, Gorbel, Insul-8
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Height Adjustable Workbench Made Easy With Dyna-Lift!

Labels: adjustable workbenches, height adjustable, work benches
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
CM Lodestar Early Advertisement
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
ProMat Reminder
The Material Handling Industry of America
8720 Red Oak Blvd., Suite 201
Charlotte, NC 28217-3992
704-676-1190 • 800-345-1815 • FAX: 704-676-1199
E-mail: CustomerService@ProMatShow.com • www.ProMatShow.com
Labels: Promat
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Cooperation of Company and Union Saves Millions!
"What this program shows is that when workers have input on working conditions, when they are part of the decision-making process, you come up with a better, safer environment -- and that's good for everybody," said UFCW Meatpacking, Manufacturing, and Food Processing Division Director Mark Lauritsen. "It works because everyone is involved from Tyson management to UFCW leaders, ergo monitors and production workers."
"The union and Tyson have worked together to make this ergonomics program what it is today (and) I think we're way ahead of the industry with our program," said Marvin Harrington, President of UFCW Local 222, which represents workers at the Dakota City plant. "We're proud the program is part of our UFCW contract with Tyson. We train UFCW members on how to identify hazards and recommend fixes. Having both Tyson management and UFCW members engaged on detecting hazards makes for an efficient process."
www.ergonomicpartners.com
sale@ergonomicpartners.com
Lift Table Solution For The Printing Industry

Lift Table Application:
This printing operation loads pallets of rolled printed product. The loads can range from several hundred to over one thousand pounds. The loaded pallets are removed and transported by pallet jack to the shipping area.
Problem:
The operators handle of a wide range of size and weight of printed product in this area. The area for staging and loading the pallets is very cramped. Lifting, bending, stretching and reaching to position printed materials of various size and weights on the pallet takes a physical toll on line operators. The tight space conditions add to the frustration not allowing the operators to work efficiently. Lift trucks are prohibited access to this work area for safety reasons as the area is very congested with product.
Solution:
Bishamon EZOFF lifters are positioned in the pallet building areas. The empty pallets are placed on the raised EZOFF Lifter. The lift can be lowered as the printed rolls are loaded to accommodate the workers comfort level. In addition the operator can rotate the platform to position the lift for loading thereby eliminating reaching across the load or walking around the lift to place product on the pallet. The result is less bending, reaching and stretching, reduced fatigue and improved productivity.
Ergonomic Partners can help with this or similar applications for your industry. Contact us at 314-766-4578 or at sales@ergonomicpartners.com
Labels: Bishamon
Monday, November 23, 2009
Why Choose Patented Track Crane Systems?
Benefits of Cleveland Tramrail Tarca Track
If you need help specifying the proper crane system for your application contact a crane sales professional at sales@ergonomicpartners.com, or call at 314-766-4578 for more information |
Labels: Cleveland Tramrail
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
National Ergonomics Conference is Focusing on Workplace Ergonomics
Monday, November 16, 2009
Rigid Industrial Manipulator Integrated with Gorbel Workstation Crane System

This Gorbel Free Standing Work Station Bridge Crane was utilized for an application that takes advantage of its ease of push and pull for a custom yet affordable solution.
The customer needed rigidity to be maintained while handling these parts and the system they were using had a lot of swing with the hoist and could not handle the required installation angle.
This application involved handling row unit pods for a combine. Three pods were on a mounting rack which weighed 1000#. The pack of three needed to be picked up and tilted to a specific angle to allow for proper installation.
A Gorbel Free Standing Work Station Bridge Crane with a Dual Girder Bridge and Variable Frequency Tractor Drives on both the trolley and bridge. The variable frequency drive control give the operator optimum spotting control to position these large pods.
Gorbel workstation cranes are easily integrated with custom end tooling. Gorbel will make the platform to integrate with many type of one of a kind tooling.
The customer was thrilled with the amount of time they were able to save over the previous method. Their installation time was reduced from 25 minutes per pack down to 5 minutes.
Have a problem or tough application? Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com
Fabtech Show Opened Today in Chicago
FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show opened today in Chicago. Stop by and check out Gorbels booth if you are in town. They will have the G-Force, Easy Arm, Tool jibs, and workstation cranes to name a few.
The show runs from Nov. 15 - 18, 2009. This very large event expects over 1,000 exhibitors, with an expected 35,000 attendees.It will feature thousands of live equipment demonstrations throughout pavilions dedicated to metal forming, fabricating, tube and pipe, stamping, lasers, thermal spray and welding.
Let us know if you see something you like and we will feature it on our blog! Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com
Ergonomic Matting for Areas of Dangerous High Voltage Equipment

Labels: anti-fatigue matting, wearwell
Friday, November 13, 2009
Box Handling Custom Lift Assist

This custom box handling tool was provided at the end of six conveyor stations. The old process was for the operator to pick them off a conveyor by hand and set onto a pallet. The new process involves self leveling lift tables and this custom lift assist integrated with the Gorbel G-Force. The operators are picking up one box every 15 seconds so you can imagine the wear and tear of lifting this 35 pound box for 8 hours.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sanitizing Footbath Mat

Wearwell's Sanitizing Foot Mat keeps hygienic areas free of contamination and germs.
Wearwell Food Production Mat Specifically for Food Production and Processing Industries

Labels: food production, wearwell
Monday, November 2, 2009
Food Processing Plant Utilizes Bishamon Mobile Self Leveling Lift Cart
This food processing facility was using large outdated carts to get the product to the workers for final preparation. The old carts were hard to maneuver and the worker had to reach to six inches above floor level to pick up the bottom boxes. Well they needed a solution and Bishamon ESX Mobile self leveling tables were chosen. These are available as 220#, 460# or 880# and are very inexpensive. The load automatically raises as the boxes are removed.- Load weight compensating
- Easily accessible gauged weightselector knob
- Single and dual spring models
- Heavy-duty maintenance, scissor locking pin
- High quality casters with brake
- Steel work platforms
- Rugged construction, with heavy-gauge steel and sturdy welds throughout
- Clean design with minimum of maintenance requirement
- Durable powder coated finish
Bishamon Hydraulic Lift Table with Turn Table Top Helps this Food Processer
This food processing facility was having numerous injuries in this high duty cycle palletizing process. The workers are taking the product off of a conveyor and loading onto pallets. They were loading them at floor level which was obviously causing back injuries. They now can keep their work in a good ergonomic zone. Also notice that these lift tables have turn tables so they can keep from reaching over to load the far side of the pallet.Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Gorbel Workstation Cranes Utilized for Roll Handling in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The customer was using two men to physically lift and position rolls into packaging machines. This job was limited to younger men as this was an awkward and physically demanding job. Product damage was a major concern as the product was being dropped.
The operators were lifting these 150# rolls of paper and plastic and loading the rolls into the packaging machines which would package glass used in the pharmaceutical industry.
The customer decided on a Gorbel Freestanding workstation bridge crane with an air balancer and custom roll handling tool. They consider using a jib crane but this did not give them the coverage of a bridge crane and reduced the number of lift devices, air balancers and jibs as they would have had to buy numerous units. Note the aluminum bridge in the picture. This reduces the load the operator has to move.
This solution made sense on numerous levels:
It protected the workers as they did not have to pick up the large awkward loads.
They reduced the number of people to do the job-from two to one.
It made the job more accessible to women and older employees.
There is less damage to the product as they do not drop them.
Have a problem area in your plant let us look at an economical Gorbel solution for your solution. Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or check out what we have done for others at www.ergonomicpartners.com.
314-766-4578
Need a Manual or Electric Chain Hoist Quick?


Ergonomic Partners carries a complete line of electric chain hoists in stock for immediate delivery. If you need an 1/8 ton thru 3 ton we can help with same day shipment. We carry CM (Columbus McKinnon), Yale, Budgit, JD Neuhaus, and Demag electric and air chain hoists. In addition we carry trolleys, beam clamps, electrification for same day shipment.
Retrofit Your Equipment To Make It Like New


Check out this retrofit on customers existing equipment. These machines are being retrofitted with new aluminum stands on each end. This is a very clean, and relatively inexpensive retrofit. This aluminum extrusion can be ordered to length for quick retrofit.
Custom Grip and Pitch Lift Assist Tool for the Food Industry

Check out this custom lift assist device which was designed for the food industry. This lift assist is suspended from a Gorbel G-Force Easy Arm to help the customer take of reels from a spindle, pitch 90 degrees and place into a box. This customer is installing (4) of these units due to going to larger reels which their work force cannot handle. We are seeing an older and increasingly female work force who appreciate lifting devices to take the load off their back and shoulders.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Bushman Equipment Changes Their Name
Bushman is a great company for standard as well as custom lifters. They are still the same great company but have changed their name.
New Name Positions Company For Growth; New Structure Moves It Towards Single Source Supplier
Lift it…Stack it…Grab it…Hook it…Upend it…Invert it…Weigh it…Transfer it. If you can make it, we can move it. But first we decided to rename it—our company that is.
Bushman Equipment Inc. is now Bushman AvonTec, bringing our parent company and two divisions together to serve customers better. We are your single source supplier for Below-the-Hook (Bushman Equipment and Avon Engineering), Floor-Based (West Bend Equipment), and Slit Coil Packaging (Avon Engineering) Equipment.
This action will allow us to build on our long history of product leadership in the design and manufacture of rugged, built-to-order material handling equipment proven superior by our “enginuity” — the powerful convergence of engineering and ingenuity.
Move in the right direction for increased production and extended performance with equipment from Bushman AvonTec, including:
BELOW-THE-HOOK SOLUTIONS, ABOVE & BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
- C-Hooks
- Coil Grabs
- Spreader Beams
- Sheet & Plate Lifters
- Lifting Tongs
- Roll Handlers
- Drum Lifters
- Load Weighing Solutions
- More...
We custom-engineer and build below-the-hook lifting equipment for both mill duty and industrial applications, with capacities from 50 pounds to hundreds of tons. With Avon’s team of engineers we expand our already deep base of knowledge and experience with even more valuable intellectual capital. Our quality equipment, value-engineered to be competitively priced, benefits from well proven designs that minimize maintenance requirements and downtime. We place a heavy duty emphasis on efficiency, safety and return on your investment.
For current customers of Bushman Equipment Inc. and users of West Bend Equipment or Avon Engineering products, this means you’ll experience an even higher degree of expertise and even greater level of service. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with us, we invite you to become accustomed to Engineering That Out-Thinks… Product That Out-Performs… Service That Out-Delivers.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
CM Lodestar Electric Chain Hoists

The CM Lodestar is considered the best hoist in the marketplace by many people in the material handling industry. Many customers and sales people swear on these units in the toughest applications. There are models that are still in the field after 50 years of service.
Gorbel Fall Arrest Systems offered by Ergonomic Partners

Free standing systems
Fold away systems
Jibs
Outdoor systems
Ergonomic Partners will help you with all of your custom fall arrest needs.
Call us today at 314-402-7775 to quote and configure your custom system.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Interesting Report from MHIA
Our industry typically is 6-8 months behind the rest of the economy. Well, it may be even lagging further per the below report. We may be another year away from positive growth in most material handling sectors.
MHIA sees a turnaround in process for material handling and logistics with growth predicted in early 2011
Reduced investment and historically low capacity utilization point to contraction through 2010 followed by a new expansion cycle in early 2011
Tuesday, October 13, 2009Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) leaders discussed material handling and logistics market trends at the recent 2009 Annual Meetings in Amelia Island, Florida. Overall, the first half 2009 has seen a decline of 44.9% for orders of new equipment vs. 2008. MHIA forecasts this decline to slow slightly in the last half of 2009 and hold the total year decline to 35.0% to 38.0%. A decline of another 5.0 to 10.0% in 2010 is expected with growth to begin early in 2011.
“We are in the middle of a serious contraction this year, but the worst appears to be over,” said Hal Vandiver, MHIA executive vice president of business development. “MHIA is forecasting that 2010 will be 6.0% to 8.0% below 2009 for the industry, and it will be 2011 before we see the industry come back into growth.”
More specific information on several key material handling and logistics markets was also discussed including:
Package Handling Conveyors
The conveyor market declined by 30% for the 12 month period ending in July 2009. MHIA is expecting a total year decline in the conveyor market of 35-38% for 2009, and a further decline of 5-10% in 2010. A recovery of 10% to 12% is forecasted in 2011. Conveyor market growth opportunities are seen in retail & general merchandise; grocery and food service; direct to consumer; pharmaceutical and medical supply; and in third party logistics.
Industrial Racks
U.S. domestic production of rack equipment is estimated to be $800 million in 2009, down 37.5% from 2008. “I am confident we have bottomed out,” said George Prest, Unarco Material Handling.
Casters & Wheels
Caster manufacturers saw a 25% drop in their market in 2009 and a bottoming out in 2010 followed by slow growth for several years. Growth opportunities are seen in the alternative energy and medical markets.
Automation
The first half of 2009 saw a record low for automation. Second half of 2009 is showing signs of improvement. We see 2010 as a year of recovery and growth (when compared to 2009, but below 2008 levels). Growth opportunities are seen in manufacturing, medical, food and beverage, government and sustainability.
Ergonomics
The market for ergonomic systems and lifts was off 20% from the prior year period through the second quarter of 2009. “Technically, we have hit a bottom,” said Brian McNamara, Southworth International Group, Inc.
Supply Chain Software
Annual sales for warehouse management systems fell from $1.24 billion to $1.195 billion from 2007 to 2008. It is estimated that it has continued to contract in 2009. The market is forecasted to grow again in 2010.
Lift Trucks
In 2009, the U.S. lift truck market is estimated to drop approximately 35%, compared to 2008. 2009 is forecasted to be the bottom and recovery to begin gradually next year. Growth opportunities are seen in food and beverage, grocery chains and general merchandise stores.
Overhead Material Handling
In 2009, the industry is contracting in all segments (hoists, cranes and monorails). The outlook for 2010 is for our industry to begin a long, slow recovery; but, likely will not see positive growth until late in the year. Growth opportunities are seen in renewable energy, infrastructure, government/military and aerospace.
MHIA is an international trade association that has represented the material handling and logistics industry since 1945. MHIA members include material handling and logistics equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third party logistics providers. Member companies come from all areas of material handling and various parts of the world, making MHIA a strong national and international representative for the material handling and logistics industry. Much of the work of the industry is done within its product-specific Industry Groups. The association sponsors trade events, such as ProMat 2011 and NA 2010 to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing, distribution and supply chain professionals on the productivity solutions provided through material handling and logistics. MHIA also publishes a quarterly Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing Forecast.
Contact: Carol Miller, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) (704) 676-1190/800-345-1815.
For ergonomic material handling applications call 314-766-4578, or visit www.ergonomicpartners.com


