TMHE Counterbalanced Trucks Impress Police Chemical Works
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Police Chemical Works produces 1,400,000 tons of fertilizer a year for the domestic and world markets. The huge plant relies on a large fleet of Toyota counterbalanced trucks for much of its materials handling, including the 7-ton 5FD70 model.
"Our company's success is based on the quality of our products, our people, and on our care for the area in which we operate," explains Rafa Kumiczonek, responsible for public relations at the 1300 hectare plant, which employs more than 2900
people.
"We wouldn't be able to talk about Police Chemical Works' position in Poland as the leading fertilizer manufacturer if it wasn't for our cooperation with the best partners. Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE) is one such partner. Large amounts of product have to be transported out of the factory every day, so logistics is one of the most important processes we have."
Technical manager Adam Pacholik explains why Police chose to work with Toyota: "The company is owned by the Polish State Treasury, so our recent forklift purchases went out to tender. Over ten companies bid but TMHE won because it presented the most comprehensive offer, which best suited our requirements.
"A long-term rental contract of 60 months was agreed and our TMHE forklifts now carry approximately 100,000 tons per month. That's about 4200 lorry-loads.
"We use two-ton, five-ton and the Toyota 5FD70 seven ton forklift. Our two-ton trucks are used, among other things, to load our big bags into containers, which are then transported by ship from our port facility. We use the five-ton forklifts to load goods on to vehicles, and the 5FD70 trucks to load and unload big bags.
"As a result of our contract with TMHE, we have the opportunity to make our whole fleet uniform. At present we are in the process of implementing Toyota I_Site which will help us to manage the fleet. Toyota I_Site will make it possible for us to monitor forklift use, from collisions to the level of battery charge, and we expect it to have a significant influence on our operations."
Mariusz Jarzembski is a senior manager at Police Chemical Works: "We offer a variety of palletised products to our customers, weighing between 1000 and 1200 kilograms. At present the production capacity of our main fertilizer palletising line is 900 tons per day.
"We simply wouldn't be able to ship these pallets to our clients if it weren't for TMHE forklifts. They are an essential component of the entire production chain.
"We are trying to optimise costs by retiring our older, non-Toyota, forklift trucks and replacing them with Toyota machines, better adapted to our difficult working conditions, including working in our summer temperatures of over 40°C. The Toyota trucks have the necessary air conditioning and engine cooling systems but, most of all, our employees enjoy using them.
"Our forklifts work under very difficult conditions. Police Chemical Works is a testing ground for all forklift manufacturers as we have the entire periodic table of chemical elements here, plus humidity and uneven surfaces. All of this does not have a good influence on equipment!"
