with Kansas forklift assembly operation
New initiative will improve service, product availability for US and Canadian customers.
The Kalmar manufacturing plant in Ottawa, Kansas, long known for building legendary and market-leading Ottawa Kalmar terminal tractors, is now assembling Kalmar forklift trucks for distribution throughout North America. The new initiative has resulted in a building expansion and is expected eventually to bring additional assembly and technical support jobs to the area.
By assembling big Kalmar lift trucks in Ottawa, we are dramatically strengthening our presence in North America and improving our service to markets and businesses outside of ports, which have traditionally been Kalmar strength, says Leif Wallin, President of Kalmar Industries Corp, in Ottawa.
“The immediate advantages to our customers are shortened build times by up to sixty days, greater flexibility, improved parts availability and enhanced technical support, he notes.
We have had this assembly operation in the planning stages for over a year now, and it really a win-win situation for everyone. By keeping the design control and major component sub-assembly work close to our engineering group in Ljungby, Sweden, we are able to maintain the extreme high quality for which Kalmar forklift trucks are known. And in Ottawa we are taking advantage of our existing infrastructure and highly skilled and motivated labour force for the final assembly, testing and quality control.
The US-made content of the lift trucks will increase over time as the company plans to phase-in more US manufactured components such as diesel engines, masts, carriages and forks. Newly expanded IT capabilities will help in this effort because Ottawa plant personnel now have immediate and real-time access to parts information and engineering drawings.
Parts availability is being improved by consolidating the majority of Kalmar forklift replacement parts and accessories into Kalmar enlarged parts distribution centre in Ottawa. This expansion gives western time zone dealers and customers an additional two-hour ordering window each day.
The first Kalmar forklift truck, a DCE 160, was assembled in April and we are now ahead of our sales plan for US assembled forklift trucks, states Randy Dennis, Kalmar vice president of sales and customer support, North America.
We are mostly assembling Kalmar DCE 140s to 160s (lifting capacity of 14,000kg to 16,000kg), Mr. Dennis continued.
These rugged machines reach the heart of heavy US industries like lumber and paper mills, steel and pipe foundries, pre-formed concrete plants and many other manufacturers that require specialised equipment to lift and move heavy, bulky materials.
Our 27 North American dealers with a total of over 170 locations are thrilled to have easier and quicker access to the product, Mr Dennis added. “At a recent dealer meeting, several Kalmar dealers expressed their satisfaction with the decision to start the assembly operation. They feel that it demonstrates Kalmar long-term commitment to the North American market.
Kalmar forklift trucks are built for maximum reliability. Long service intervals (up to 500 hours) help reduce operating costs by as much as 15 percent. An efficient and easy-to-operate diagnostic system makes trouble-shooting quick and easy. Technicians can reach all inspection checkpoints from a standing position and the cab tilts for easy access to the engine and transmission.
For a long time, Kalmar has been one of the world's leading manufacturers of big lift trucks (up to 50,000kg lifting capacity). Every Kalmar forklift offers advanced electronics that are teamed with a unique power train and linked lifting functions to give the operator superior control of the overall movement of the truck. Various customisable cab configurations are available and all provide outstanding ergonomics including access to controls and visibility.
Note to editors
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The caption for the photograph 1 reads:
"The Kalmar manufacturing plant in Ottawa, Kansas, is now assembling Kalmar forklift trucks for distribution throughout North America."
The caption for the photograph2 reads:
"Kalmar DCE 140 to 160 Lift Trucks (lifting capacity of 14,000kg to 16,000kg) are now being assembled at the Kalmar manufacturing plant in Ottawa, Kan.
Kalmar is a global provider of heavy duty materials handling equipment and services to ports, intermodal traffic, terminals and demanding industrial customers. Kalmar focuses on supplying handling solutions that enable customers to operate with a high level of efficiency and reliability. Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine.
Kalmar provides a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management. Production plants are situated in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Malaysia, China and the USA. Kalmar net sales were EUR 865,4 million in 2004.
Kalmar is part of Cargotec Corporation which is the world leading provider of cargo-handling solutions for ships, ports, terminals and local distribution. Cargotec's net sales were EUR 1.9 billion in 2004. Cargotec shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
For further information contact:
Aija Kalander
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