Category: Material Handling

Southeast Industrial Equipment is the largest material handling dealership in the Southeast. SIE is a Toyota forklift dealership dedicated to all lines of equipment we offer. With locations in Charlotte, Duncan, Florence, Charleston, Columbia, Wilson, Savannah, Richmond, and Raleigh we offer superior servicing capabilities throughout the Southeast. The material handling equipment we carry ranges from Capacity yard spotters, Cushman utility vehicles, Landoll very narrow aisle forklifts, to Kalmar large pneumatics.

Manufacturing Business is Up – What Does that Mean for your Business?

Posted on by Juliet

Toyota 3-Wheel Electric Perfect for Manufacturing

According to an article published on mmh.com … “New orders, which are viewed as the engine driving manufacturing, rose 0.9 percent to 53.0, heading up for the third straight month, and production rose 1.4 percent to 56.0, also up for the third month in a row.” – Jeff Berman, Group News Editor for Modern Materials Handling

Click to read the full article here >> “Manufacturing activity is up in November for third straight month, reports ISM”

According to the findings in the article above, businesses are stretched to get this years’ inventory off their shelves before the new year begins. Production of new items slowed in order to relieve the existing items therefore leaving room in the budget to purchase/lease new equipment to keep up with production for 2017! Read more about why now is the time to ACT when purchasing or leasing new equipment for your facility to benefit from the most beneficial tax deductions before the end of 2016!

 

Floor Tape Tips to a Safer Warehouse

Posted on by Juliet

First things first, in order to safely guide daily operations of your facility, we suggest segmenting departments into designated areas with the highest quality floor tape for safety and simple organization. After all, the key to a safe and productive facility or warehouse is in the planning. “The more clarity, logic and clear communication you can bring to a workplace environment, the
more safely and efficiently it will operate.” – Mighty Line Floor Marking Guide

Floor Tape ColorsWhen choosing the type of floor tape to the safety signs you will need for your warehouse consider the 4 D’s.

  1. Draft daily productivity routes  –  Consider the basics by utilizing an engineering partner to layout the basics of your operation to find the best possible outcome for daily routines. I.E. Shipping , Receiving, Machining, and Inspection areas. Use multiple colors of floor tape to define each area.
  2. Designate operational areas  –  Depending on the width of the aisles between your racking systems, a safe distance to stay away from the upright beams needs to be clearly marked for pedestrians, operators, and equipment. Floor Marking with Tape for Equipment
  3. Define potential hazard locations  –  Does your warehouse have bays where safety apparel is needed due to the equipment in use? Do you work with hazardous materials? Do you need to mark off container storage that should not be handled? The use of floor tape and safety signs to clearly mark dangerous locations is imperative for safe a operation. Red Floor Hazard Tape
  4. Determine likely collision points  –  Lift trucks, forklifts, floor cleaning equipment, guided vehicles, and other equipment are an integral part of the productivity of your facility. They can also be the most dangerous ticket items for collisions with other equipment, racking systems, products, and even operators and pedestrians. Clearly labeling tight and accident prone areas can significantly reduce the risk of these incidents occurring.

 

Differentiating the types and color of the floor tape you choose to mark specific areas are as follows:

YELLOW: Use to signify safe paths for walking  

RED: For dangerous areas, emergency exit areas

WHITE: Production equipment: machines, carts, incoming racks

GREEN: Safety-related areas: eye wash stations, safety showers, etc

ORANGE: Machinery parts areas

BLUE: Works in progress/equipment under repair zones

BLACK: Finished goods area

YELLOW WITH BLACK DIAGONALS: Extra caution walkways

WHITE WITH RED DIAGONALS: Safety equipment areas: Fire extinguishers, electrical panels, AED machines, & more

Watch how easy it is to install >> 

Southeast Industrial Equipment team consists of highly trained and experienced professionals and partners with the equipment and knowledge to assist you in every step of the warehouse/facility planning process. Contact us today for a FREE site evaluation (866) 696-9125.

DOWNLOAD the full Mighty Line Floor Marking Guide here > Floor Marking Guide

5 Forgotten Things To Expect 4 Reasons To Rent A Forklift For The Holidays

Posted on by Juliet

Toyotaforklift.com published the “5 Things to Expect When You Rent a Forklift“. Southeast Industrial Equipment has a large inventory of 5,000lb pneumatic and cushion tires forklifts ready to rent for the busy holiday season! Read the reasons to rent for the holidays below!

During the busy holiday season your warehouse seems to be as busy as Walmart is on Black Friday! As much prep goes into getting ready for this time of year our customers are at ease knowing they can quickly add material handling equipment to their fleet for extra support by taking advantage of SIE’s large rental fleet!

With an in-house rental department ready to take your call, Southeast Industrial Equipment’s material handling rental equipment is your down-time eliminator for a number of reasons!

1. When production is up but you just can’t keep up.

Why not add a forklift to your fleet by renting for a day, week, month, or longer if needed? When you just can’t see the return on investment to purchase or lease a new or used forklift just to get you through the hectic seasons, renting can be your best option. Here at Southeast Industrial Equipment we offer a wide range of material handling equipment for lease, purchase, or for rent. We have over 200 units in our rental fleet and growing by the day!

2. In case the only forklift you have is down for maintenance.

When you cannot afford the downtime in your warehouse, we are here to deliver a rental to sub in for the equipment that is being serviced.

3. Maybe you have a special project your company is working on.

You need a piece of material handling equipment to get the job done right? Why not rent the perfect piece of equipment along with the attachment that is just what you need? When you do not have use for a full time forklift for the day in and day out or your business, SIE is your go to when it comes to getting a rental to you fast and efficiently for no matter how long or short of a time period you may need.

4. When you need to lift to new heights

Or reach the pallet positions you normally do not use on a daily basis, why not rent the forklift that can reach just that much higher while you have more product to store? We have forklifts for rent that reach up to your tallest rack, so call (866) 696-9125 today or fill out our rental form for the material handling equipment you need now but may not need later!

 

Watch our video on how renting can be your best option to get you through the busiest times of year.

5 Reasons to Choose the Bendi Very Narrow Aisle Forklift Over a Competitor

Posted on by Juliet

See 5 reasons Landoll’s Bendi Very Narrow Aisle Forklift has 85% of the market share in its’ category.

  1. Rear Wheel Drive & Maintenance Expense – The Bendi Very Narrow Aisle Forklift utilizes a rear wheel drive system compared to a competitor’s front wheel drive.  By having a front wheel design, the motor cables and hoses are routed from the truck out to the front end.  Every time the mast turns to put/retrieve a pallet, the hoses and cables twist and flex.  This contributes to an increase in maintenance expenses for the customer over the life of the equipment. Historically data illustrates that an average maintenance cost per hour on a Bendi LP gas forklift is around $ 1.61 per hour over the life of the equipment.  This average should be even lower moving forward because of the improvement of the Dura Steer System.
  2. Stability / Capacity – By having the Bendi’s drive motors mounted in the rear of the unit, this allows the Bendi to have more stability and retain a higher capacity rating to higher lift heights than the competition. Ex. at 168” of lift, the Bendi is rated at 4000 lbs / Competitor:  4000 lbs. /  at 198” of lift, the Bendi is rated at 4000 lbs / Competitor:  3800 lbs.  *(Based upon a 24” LC) *Greater stability is achieved by moving the weight towards rear of truck *Stability decreases as weight is moved forward *Front axle should be as light as possible – adding a differential drive axle to the front increases forward weight, which reduces stability.
  3.  Gradeability – The Bendi Very Narrow Aisle Forklift (loaded) can climb a 15% ramp / Competitor: 12%.  The reason the gradeability is better is due to the patented rear wheel drive – the drive motor weight is located in the rear of the unit. This allows us to pull a higher grade.* Front drive traction units have poor traction capabilities since most of the weight is in the unit’s rear. * Drive Motors and brakes should be in the rear where all the weight is and the traction is the greatest.
  4. Visibility – With the Bendi LP forklift, the operator has better visibility in both directions.  With Landoll’s Dura steer assembly and rear wheel drive capability, this allows the front the unit to sit lower to allow the operator a great line of sight to the forks.  When driving in reverse, the unit again has unmatched visibility due to the radiator that is mounted inside the engine compartment – like most conventional forklifts. The competitor’s hydrostatic system operates at 6,000 psi – which causes a tremendous amount of heat and decided to mount their radiator directly behind the operator – leaving it prone to damage from another forklift or warehouse obstruction.
  5. Flexibility – The Bendi unit, due to its’ design, can easily go in and out of trailers as well as sea containers.  The rear wheel drive unit and the dura steer system allows the Bendi Very Narrow Aisle Forklift to utilize conventional Class II forks – which enables it to offer a lower collapsed mast height than the competitor.  This lower mast height – 87” equals the adjustable overhead guard measurement allowing easy access into the 89” sea containers. Even though you might not need this capability today, in the future, it will not be a limitation if the demand arises.

5 Reasons to Choose Bendi Very Narrow Aisle ForkliftThe Bendi Double Reach Forklift or the Deep Reach B40AC-DR & B50AC-DR 4-Wheel High Lift Electric Multi-Purpose Very Narrow Aisle Articulated Forklift

Double your reach without sacrificing aisle width navigating aisles as narrow as 96″ loaded.
Competitors need at least 130″ fully loaded just to turn around!

  • No guidance needed
  • Reduce the # of trucks in your fleet
  • Increase productivity
  • Work indoors/outdoors
  • Dock to Stock
  • Goes in and out of trailers
  • Low mast height – get BACK into your freezers

Bendi Forklift vs Competitor

Tennant T300 Walk Behind Scrubber Case Study

Posted on by Juliet

Tennant T300 Walk Behind Scrubber Case Study

Guide To Proven Warehouse Solutions

Posted on by Juliet

Read the guide to “proven” warehouse solutions designed to work for your application by Toyota Industrial Equipment. A highly productive warehouse design is paramount to productivity. In order to optimize your warehouse functionality it is imperative that you source the right materials handling equipment, service solution, replacement parts, and a primary point of contact.

MHEDA MVP Award for 2017

Posted on by Juliet

Southeast Industrial Equipment has earned the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Award for 2017.  The MVP Award is granted by the industry’s trade association, MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association). mheda.org

This is the second year that SIE has earned this industry award created to recognize companies who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to their dealer network, their employees, and their community.

Southeast Industrial Equipment earned the 2016 MHEDA MVP Award for our outstanding achievements in 2015!

“MHEDA members represent the best of our industry; and those who earn the MVS Award have documented that excellence and commitment to their dealers, community, employees and the material handling industry,” said Scott Lee, MHEDA’s 2017 Chairman of the Board and President of Schaumburg, IL based Conveyor Solutions, Inc.   “MHEDA is very proud of our MVS Award winners.”

To qualify for the MHEDA MVP Award SIE was required to meet a series of criteria in a number of areas important to the distributor companies who do business with them.  In addition to confirming an on-going commitment to safety, MVP Award winners have demonstrated an overall commitment to business excellence by documenting programs in the following areas:

  • Industry Advocacy
  • Distributor Advocacy
  • Business Networking
  • Continuing Education
  • Business Best Practices

Southeast Industrial Equipment is a proud member of SIE MHEDA Member  since 1989 and will continue to serve our community at this level now and well into the future.

2016 Lift Truck Study

Posted on by Juliet

The Peerless Research Group and Modern Materials Handling conducted a lift truck study on acquisition and usage in today’s market in comparison to 2014-15.  In this study you will find information from how lift trucks are acquired to the reasons most businesses purchase such equipment. We have decided to break it  down a bit more and share our highlights.

Did you know that 46% percent of buyers purchased lift trucks from 2014 to 2016 for accounting purposes and/or financial reasons over being industry creators of habit.

Lift Truck Study Reasons to Buy

Another 30% purchased them to see a better ROI for their business. In 2015 60% of the group surveyed said that the level of impact the economy or market factors have on how they decide to acquire their equipment had little to no impact on their decision at all. This year the percentage only dropped by 3%. The take away from this is that businesses are buying/leasing equipment to reduce costs and gain productivity no matter the market we are in.

Making the decision to take on ownership of lift trucks and similar materials handling equipment not only eliminates the middle man and the constant need to rent multiple pieces of equipment but, to see a boost to the bottom line.

Lift Truck Study Economy Impact

This lift truck study shows that 86% of people buy or lease directly from a dealer. Much like the automotive industry, individuals still prefer to experience this type of equipment first hand during the purchasing process. Buying or leasing from a dealer gives a prospect the peace of mind that they not only will get the top of the line equipment at competitive prices but, that they will have a partner for the service and maintenance considering that 51% of businesses chose to outsource to the dealer purchased from this year.

Lift Truck Study Channels

Dealers are not just equipment pushers. Acquisition of lift trucks should be more so focused on who can give the end user the full solution to that lift truck. Again, when purchasing a car from a reputable dealer, most people would be more likely to have their vehicles serviced by that dealer instead of having to go to multiple locations after service is due. Dealers also maintain the training of their in-house road and shop technicians leading to one of the top reasons to outsource to a dealer for maintenance and repair programs. Knowledge of equipment and parts on hand are huge factors when choosing a dealer to service your equipment. In our opinion, when service and maintenance plans are under one roof it makes for a much less stressful owners’ experience.

Lift Truck Study Service

This years’ update to the PATH (Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes) Act and spending cap of the Section 179 Tax Deduction has sweetened the opportunity to take advantage of the tax deduction. Businesses that are looking to acquire new equipment during 2016 should strongly consider doing so before the deadline of December 31st,2016. The study shows that in 69% of individuals chose to buy as opposed to the 14% that chose to lease. This tax deduction not only puts cash back in your pocket, it opens up windows of opportunity to scale businesses to where they need to be.

Lift Truck Study Sales Acquisition

One other interesting note that should be taken from this study is the rise of electric lift truck purchases as well as the positive growth that is occurring in the materials handling industry. Improvements in the electric lift truck manufacturing are contributing to there incline as opposed to the traditional internal combustion models.

Lift Truck Study Electric Lift Truck Growth

Just look at Toyota Material Handling’s 3-Wheel Electric model or the new 80 Volt Electric Pneumatic lift truck. Toyota continues to evolve to fit the needs of the market while keeping the majority of it’s equipment manufacturing for the U.S. in the U.S.

Modern Materials Handling’s blog on this lift truck study they have conducted with Peerless Research Group.

Read MMH Blog Post >>

Read the full study here >>

source: https://scg-mmh.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/mmh_lift_truck_study_2016_092616.pdf 

Warehouse Racking Solutions

Posted on by Juliet

Unlock the full potential of your warehouse with Southeast Industrial Equipment Inc., your one-stop shop for industry-specific racking solutions! Maximize storage capacity, streamline operations, and boost efficiency – all with the right racking system tailored to your unique needs. 

SIE Has the Racking Systems You Need 

Different lines of business, be it manufacturing or warehousing, call for various types of racking. SIE knows it’s important to set up a racking system that aligns with your industry to promote maximum efficiency and productivity. Take a look at what racking systems SIE suggests for your industry: 

General Warehousing:

Selective Pallet Racks: The workhorse of warehouses, selective pallet racks offer unparalleled versatility and easy access to palletized goods. They’re perfect for storing a wide range of items and ideal for warehouses with moderate to high product turnover. 

Drive-In & Push-Back Racks: When maximizing space utilization is your top priority, consider high-density storage solutions like drive-in and push-back racks. These systems create a compact storage block, ideal for storing large quantities of similar items. 

Freezer/Cooler Warehousing:

Industrial-Grade Selective Pallet Racks: Maintain optimal product temperature and organization with our industrial-grade selective pallet racks. Engineered to withstand cold environments, these racks ensure the integrity of your temperature-sensitive goods. 

High-Bay Pallet Racks: Take advantage of your warehouse’s vertical space with high-bay pallet racks. These robust systems allow you to maximize storage capacity without sacrificing accessibility

Retail Warehousing:

Shelving & Cantilever Rack Systems: Cater to your fast-paced retail environment with our innovative shelving and cantilever rack systems. Shelving units provide easy access to high-demand items, while cantilever racks offer versatile storage for bulky or oddly shaped merchandise.

Mezzanine Systems: Double your usable floor space with mezzanine systems. Create designated picking areas or office space above your existing footprint, enhancing order fulfillment efficiency and overall productivity. 

General Manufacturing:

Heavy-Duty Pallet Racks: Form the backbone of your production line with our heavy-duty pallet racks. Store raw materials, finished goods, and heavy machinery securely and efficiently.

Cart Racking Systems: Optimize tool and die storage with versatile cart racking systems. These systems keep your essential tools organized and readily accessible, minimizing downtime and maximizing production efficiency. 

SIE has the inventory to maximize your warehouse footprint, your workflow output, and job completion. Check out our entire warehouse catalog to find the equipment that will upgrade your facility’s production!

Want a visual? Check out the Toyota Forklift Warehouse Racking Solutions Infographic to understand different racking systems and their applications.

Contact SIE Today to Maximize Your Warehouse Productivity

Still have questions or a unique storage challenge? Southeast Industrial Equipment Inc. is here to help!  Our racking specialists will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to design a customized storage solution that perfectly aligns with your specific business requirements.

Contact us for a free quote and unlock the potential of your warehouse!

SIE Parts Fill Rate

Posted on by Juliet

Southeast Industrial Equipment has a company wide parts fill rate of 96%.

At SIE we like to think of our parts fill rate as a “stock fill rate” due to the limitless array of equipment we are capable of servicing. Our service vans are stocked based on the customers’ need, as well as, what the market dictates. Our centralized parts department, based out of our Charlotte, NC branch allows for consistent analysis of parts fill rates by service van and work orders, supporting SIE to maintain a 96% parts fill rate. The success of our road service assignments are largely due to the technicians having the right part stocked to complete repairs, right when our customers need it.

SIE Parts and Service