03_SH_June.qxd 24/5/07 08:37 Page 3
Editorial comment ■
A welcome from
the editor
In my grandfather’s day, he’d have called it the ‘Yellow you all know what I’m going to write, anyway, don’t you?
Peril’. Today, we’re not encouraged – and rightly so – to use Now, who thinks the Chinese are only playing at making
such language. Back then, the threat he felt from the Far fork lift trucks? Hands up who thinks they will remain a small
East was whipped up by the propogandizers who would have player in the global market? Any takers…? I didn’t think so.
us believe that the world order was changing and the West In preparation for next month’s issue of ShD, which
was about to be overrun by an influx of Asians. celebrates its 50th anniversary, I’ve been asking some of the
Initially the fear was that our wages and standards of living industry’s leading figures about how they expect the industry
would be challenged. With the onset of two world wars and to change over the next decade. To a man, they said that China
the publication of the Fu Manchu series of books, that threat will be a major force in the European materials handling
was perceived as even darker. machinery market, possibly under their own steam, possibly
This stereotyping of Asians was, of course, way off the through acquisition.
mark. It was a load of old hot air fed to vulnerable minds by The difference between way back then and now is that we at comment
those with a vested interest in keeping things as they were. least are aware of the ‘threat’ and are not dismissing it out of
But when the ‘threat’ did finally arrive, amazingly we still hand. As Samuk and other brands already in the UK are
didn’t see it coming. proving, the Chinese certainly know how to put together a
In the late 1950s, a team of Japanese engineers were seen truck. They might not yet be as highly sophisticated as some of
buzzing around the paddock at the famous Isle of Man the latest models running off European production lines, but
motorcycle TT races. These characters were laughed at as they they all do what they say on the box. As a warehouse operator,
measured and evaluated the all-conquering European bikes, what more could you wish for?
studying their handling and performance. A recent visit to the fabulous National Fork Lift Truck
In 1961, the first five finishing positions in the Lightweight Heritage Centre reminded me of some grand old names that no
125cc TT were taken by Honda, and a Yamaha finished sixth in longer feature in our industry. I wonder how many of today’s
the 250cc race – behind five Hondas. Those arrogant Western brands will be consigned to the museum come 2017…
technicians suddenly stopped laughing as the European
motorcycle industry was swept away under a wave of high
quality, low-cost, high performance Japanese machines.
This has been replicated in the automobile industry. As I
write this column, I hear that Toyota sold 2.35 million
vehicles in the first quarter of 2007, making it the world’s
largest seller of cars. Oh, how we laughed at Toyota when it
tried to hoist its ungainly Crown model on us in the late 1960s.
Oh, how I couldn’t wait to slip out of my crummy old Escort
Editorial
and into my shiny new Celica a handful of years later.
Well done for staying with me thus far. I’m about to talk Peter MacLeod
about fork lift trucks. And I don’t need to say much, because Editor
No wonder
we’re
‘Racking pains’
No.1
Still waiting ages for quotes? Preparing and planning by hand?
For an altogether easier experience visit
e-racking is the No.1
www.e-racking.com
online ordering system.
It is clear, concise and
Fresh thinking, online racking.
transparent. There’s
simply no easier and
faster way to get the
plans and cost you need.
Unit 8, GB Business Park, Cutler Heights Lane, Bradford BD4 9HZ
West Yorkshire Tel: 01274 662 912 E-mail: racking.com">sales@e-racking.com www.e-racking.com
www.PressOnShD.com June 2007 ShD 3
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68