Gregory Poole Blog

April 2, 2020

We want to reinforce that all of our locations will remain OPEN, as we are considered an essential business. You can view our locations here.

We will continue to keep you informed of the actions we are taking in accordance with national, state, and local governments. We are here for you, to keep your business up and running.

If you, or someone from your company, is planning to visit in person, we have outlined below the precautions we will be taking to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Once you arrive at one of our locations, we ask you to follow this process. (Employees are also being screened in a similar manner)

Where To Check-in:

• If entering a building, there will be signs posted directing you where to go to check-in
• If entering in a vehicle through one of our gates, the gates will be manned by employees who will perform your check-in at the gate

Check-in Process:

• Building doors will be locked, there will be a Gregory Poole associate available to let you in and conduct the check-in procedure
• Your temperature will be taken in the lobby with a non-invasive, infra-red thermometer - temperature must be below 100.4
• We may ask you questions about fever, travel to hot spot areas, or exposure to anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19
• One of our employees will escort (indoors) or direct you (outdoors) to the proper destination

During these difficult times, we hope you and your families stay safe and healthy. Thank you for your continued loyalty to Gregory Poole Lift Systems and please be assured we’ll do everything we can to protect and support the well-being of everyone in our extended community.

Thank you,

The Gregory Poole Team

March 25, 2020

We know and understand the concerns you are having about being able to keep your business going during this time - when several industries around our communities are being forced to close temporarily.

Please take comfort in knowing Gregory Poole is considered an essential business and will remain OPEN to help keep you, your machines, and your business up and running. You can view our locations here.

• Please do not hesitate to reach out via email, phone call, text, or FaceTime. We are prepared to be flexible and work with each of you individually to do business online, over the phone, or by bringing our machines and services to you.

• Please do not come to the dealership for Service and Repairs without calling ahead
• If you are sick or uncomfortable coming to our locations, give us a call and we will either:
  • Make the necessary arrangements to take care of your equipment coming into the shop
  • Dispatch Field Service Technicians to you without risking the health of our employees and your associates
• All of our Field Service staff and Delivery Drivers have been instructed to follow COVID-19 safety precautions while on-site

• We are encouraging phone calls for orders
• We will continue to offer Parts Pick Up at our locations, with required social distancing. Please contact your parts location first, and we can schedule a time for that pickup

• Rental needs can be met by calling your rental representative or any of our rental counters:
  • You can find your closest Rental location here 
  • You can call 800-447-3125 to be connected to your local rental counter
• Please schedule pickup or drop-off of rental equipment by calling your local facility and scheduling a time
• We continue to deliver rental equipment to jobsites as normal but are practicing social distancing for everyone’s safety

March 17, 2020

Gregory Poole Lift Systems's number one priority is ensuring the safety of our customers and employees. Per the Gregory Poole Mission Statement, "we are stewards of our communities, our environment and the industries we serve" and "we are dedicated to our customer's success." We would like to keep you, our valued customers, informed of our company response during this time.

For the time being, all Gregory Poole locations are operating at normal business hours and are taking precautions onsite to help control the spread of COVID-19 (commonly known as the coronavirus).

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a major concern for everyone, we want to share how we are managing the situation. We have not had any type of exposure, but our first priority remains the health and well-being of our associates, customers and community.

We recognize this is a fluid and dynamic situation - be sure to keep an eye out on updates from our website homepage, further email communications, and social media accounts as things continue to change throughout our National, State and City governments and local communities to prevent the spread of this virus.

We are committed to serving your needs during this unprecedented time. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to your nearest location or your sales representative.

Thank you for your understanding. In the meantime, please be safe and know our hearts go out to all those affected.

Parts:

• We are open for business in all locations to support you, and will send a follow up note if that were to change
• Company-wide policies have been put in place minimizing our associates' and customers' exposure to COVID-19 - outlining guidelines for coming to work, self-quarantining if sick and proper hygiene and social distancing practices as recommended by the CDC:
  • Limiting direct exposure for our employees and communities as much as possible, including restrictions on non-essential travel, postponement of large events, and enhanced social distancing practices
  • Deploying deep cleaning with CDC approved disinfectants to protect our facilities and mobile service vans, as well as the products we deliver
  • Placing hand sanitizing stations throughout our offices and wearing gloves when loading and unloading machines
  • Requiring employees to stay home if experiencing symptoms, if returning from events elsewhere, or have traveled on mass transit
• We are asking our sales force to refrain from entering a customer location or jobsite without an appointment or direct permission
• We have implemented a No Handshake policy
• We are encouraging the use of cell phones, Facetime, and email as first line of communication
• For our customers who are sick or do not feel comfortable coming into one of our branch locations:
  • If you have urgent repairs, please do not come to the dealership. Give us a call and we will dispatch field service technicians to you without risking the health of our employees and your associates
  • If you would like to purchase a piece of equipment, please do not hesitate to reach out via email, phone call, or text to your Gregory Poole representative. We are prepared to be flexible and work with each of you individually to do business online, over the phone, or by bringing our machines and services to you.
  • If you need to order parts, we are encouraging phone calls for orders. We will still however, accept walk-in customers and parts pickup, with required social distancing.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 06, 2020) – The Hyster^® J60XNL with integrated lithium-ion power has been named a finalist for the International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) award. The J60XNL breaks new ground as the first counterbalanced lift truck engineered around a fully integrated lithium-ion battery pack.

“While counterbalanced lift trucks with lithium-ion power are available, they come in the form of battery box replacements,” says James Nielson, Product Manager, Hyster Company. “We took a different approach. The J60XNL is designed from the ground up to take advantage of the form factor of lithium-ion battery power, freeing space in the operator compartment and reducing truck weight for significant ergonomic and efficiency benefits.”

The Hyster J60XNL weighs over 700 pounds less than the equivalent lead-acid battery powered model and has a lower center of gravity, offering improved acceleration and maneuverability, while reducing energy consumption. It also offers a lowered seat and floor plate, making entry and exit easier and adding 3.5 inches of head room, while still accommodating a taller seat with air suspension for a more comfortable ride. The integrated lithium-ion design also offers more space under the operator seat to provide increased freedom to position feet during operation.

The Hyster J60XNL brings all the benefits of lithium-ion power to a counterbalanced forklift, including efficiency gains, no battery maintenance requirements, consistent power delivery and long battery life. Opportunity charging and the ability to fully charge in approximately one hour make lithium-ion power an ideal solution for heavy-duty applications. The lithium-ion battery technology is also FDA compliant, with zero emissions in operation and no gassing during the charging process, making it a strong choice for operations subject to high hygiene standards, like food, beverage and pharmaceuticals. The battery can also communicate with the truck and adjust performance based on operating temperature, allowing the J60XNL to operate in a wider range of temperatures than other lithium-ion products.

The J60XNL is known as the Hyster J3.0XNL integrated lithium-ion counterbalanced forklift in Europe. The IFOY competition enters the evaluation phase in February, with testing of all nominated products for productivity, energy efficiency, safety, ergonomics, design and more.

About Hyster Company

Hyster Company is a division of Hyster-Yale Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (NYSE:HY). Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. and its subsidiaries, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, employ more than 7,800 people world-wide.

# # #

Company Contact:
Jeremy Cayton
Hyster Company
252-329-7553
jeremy.cayton@hyster-yale.com

For the second year in a row Combilift is a finalist in the IFOY Awards – one of the most prestigious and hotly contested international awards in the materials handling industry. The company is the only manufacturer to have two of its products nominated for a 2020 IFOY Award (International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year) which honors the best products and solutions of the year.

The Combi-CBE8000 is a finalist in the Special Vehicle Category. This 8000 lb. capacity electric powered, all-wheel drive forklift incorporates compact counterbalance design with multi-directional capability for the versatile handling of mixed sized loads. It features the company’s internationally patented independent electric traction (EP.2956350) which provides all front and rear drive wheels with 100% traction control, therefore negating the need for differential lock on slippery surfaces. By inputting the wheel-base parameters, the traction commands are calculated by the control system. As the truck drives and steers, the speed and rotational direction of the wheels are controlled independently, allowing the truck to negotiate tight turns with no tire wear.

The Combi-CS has been nominated in the Warehouse Truck Lowlifter Category. It is the only pedestrian counterbalance stacker that will operate in a conventional reach truck aisle for space saving and productive storage and handling. It features Combilift’s unique, internationally patented and award-winning multi-position tiller arm which can be turned to the left or right of the unit to position the rear drive wheel, allowing the operator to remain at the side of the machine rather than at the rear as is the case with other pedestrian stackers. This ensures optimum visibility of the load and surroundings as well as guaranteeing maximum safety in areas where other personnel or members of the public may be present.

The competition will enter its next round when finalists undergo the IFOY audit and innovation check by industry experts in mid-February in Hanover, Germany. 27 journalists from leading logistics media from 19 countries will also personally test and evaluate the nominated equipment for qualities such as technology, design, ergonomics, safety, marketability, customer benefit and sustainability.

“Following the nomination of the Combi-PPT powered pallet truck last year, we are delighted that the IFOY committee has recognized two of our innovative products as being worthy of finalist status in 2020,” said Combilift CEO and Co-founder Martin McVicar.

www.combilift.com

MHEDA Networking Summit

February 6, 2020

“Winning the War on Talent”

Gregory Poole is happy to host fellow MHEDA Members on Thursday, February 6^th for a one-day industry networking summit. Only $99 per person. Enjoy dynamic presentations, catered lunch, tour of our facility, Give Back Event and more! Click here to learn more.

The ANSI A92 Standard

ANSI, the American National Standards Institute, is a private, nonprofit organization that develops consensus standards and assessment systems across many U.S. industries. While they apply specifically to products in the United States, these standards are used as guidelines and best practices around the world.

With the last major changes to ANSI standards in the access industry taking place more than a decade ago in 2006, it was time for an update. The new ANSI A92 standard was developed to improve safety and efficiency for the design and use of MEWPs (MOBILE ELEVATING WORK PLATFORMS), formerly known as Aerial Work Platforms. The updated ANSI A92 suite of design, safe use and training standards was published in the U.S. on Dec. 10, 2018 and will be officially effective in December 2019. These new standards more closely align North American standards requirements with current ISO standards.

Effects on Manufacturers, Owners and Operators

Within ANSI A92, there are three standards affecting the MEWP industry and its stakeholders—the A92.20, covering design; the A92.22, covering safe use; and the A92.24, covering training. Notably, manufacturers must address design changes that impact MEWP wind ratings, chassis angle and load capacity.

Under these new standards, MEWPs are classified differently. MEWPs are divided into Group A for those with platforms that move vertically but stay inside the tipping line, and Group B for all other MEWPs – typically, boom-type equipment where the platform extends past the tipping line.

Within each of these groups, machines are separated into types: Type 1 for those that travel only in the stowed position, Type 2 for those that can travel while elevated but controlled from the chassis, and Type 3 for those that can travel while elevated but controlled from the work platform.

When it comes to safe use and training, machine owners and operators will have their own sets of responsibilities with which to comply. Dealers and rental companies will need to update their training procedures and onboarding manuals to support new requirements and train employees on new machine features and the new standards. They must also offer familiarization to customers who rent, lease or buy this equipment.

Owners and operators must meet all new training requirements, participate in extensive planning to consider machine choice and application, and perform site risk assessments for all MEWP operations and training procedures.

Anyone qualified under current standards will not be qualified under the new standards until they undergo additional training. While current regulations require all operators in the industry to go through safety training, the new standards will require everyone who supervises MEWP operators to also be trained and possess in-depth knowledge of the equipment. Examples of the knowledge required by occupants includes being well-informed about hazards associated with MEWPs, unsafe ground conditions or electrical hazards, and how to properly lower the machine in case something happens to the operator.

Operator training can be broken down into three segments: theory, practice and evaluation. The theory segment can be learned in a classroom or online and includes training on the entire safe-use standard and its application to each machine. The practice segment includes applying this knowledge for proper hands-on experience and machine operation. The evaluation segment includes proper documentation of success in the previous two training segments.

The Time is Now

ANSI A92 standards were published a year in advance of the December 2019 effective date, giving companies a year to become compliant. Many companies have already begun to implement these changes. However, many have not even started.

From a training and safe-use perspective, there is no reason to wait until that deadline gets closer. Everyone involved with MEWPs – no matter the industry – should start implementing the safe use policies and practices right now.

Contact Us Today For More Information

Raleigh, NC – Gregory Poole Lift Systems has been awarded the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Award for 2020, based on their accomplishments in 2019. For the tenth consecutive year, since the Award’s inception, Gregory Poole Lift Systems has earned an MVP Award from the industry’s trade association, MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association).

Award recipients must satisfy a rigorous set of criteria with less than 10% of the association’s membership earning the award. As a 2020 MVP, Gregory Poole Lift Systems has successfully demonstrated a commitment to business excellence, professionalism and good stewardship.

To qualify for the annual MVP Award companies are required to provide evidence of their commitment to their partners in business including their customers, employees and suppliers. They must satisfy criteria in the following important areas:

• Industry Advocacy
• Customer Service & Safety Practices
• Business Networking
• Continuing Education
• Business Best Practices

“To receive the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Award for 2020 is a great honor that we at Gregory Poole Lift Systems take immense pride in. We have received this award for ten consecutive years now, making us one of only a handful of distributors in the US to achieve this honor. We continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of our business and look forward to exceeding expectations for years to come.” - Hal Ingram, Group Vice President

“Achievement of MHEDA’s MVP status represents members who have demonstrated a commitment to their business and its employees, their industry and also to the communities within which they serve,” said Mike Vaughn, 2019 MHEDA Chairman of the Board and Chief Financial Officer of Liftech Equipment Companies in East Syracuse, NY.

Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Gregory Poole Lift Systems is a full-service provider of material handling solutions throughout eastern North and South Carolina, Virginia and portions of West Virginia. For more information about Gregory Poole Lift Systems, please visit www.gregorypoolelift.com

The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) is the only national trade association dedicated solely to improving the proficiency of the independent material handling distributor. MHEDA represents close 650 companies in the material handling equipment business. Located in suburban Chicago, the association provides services to companies seeking to improve their business through education, networking, benchmarking and best practices. For more information, visit www.mheda.org

The Rocky Mount Lift Systems operation was recognized by the NC Department of Labor for Safety Excellence. Rocky Mount completed another injury free year in 2018 and was presented with a Certificate of Excellence by Secretary Cheri Berry (North Carolina Commissioner of Labor). Pictured with the Secretary are Keith Gay (Safety Steering Team Leader), Robin Skillen (Branch Manager), and Wayne Beal (Regional Operations Manager). Congratulations Rocky Mount for another injury free year!