Stone Distributing, a leading distributor and wholesaler of 55 craft beer and beverage brands, based in San Marcos, California, faced significant challenges in their warehouse operations.
Tight spaces, frequent on-and-off movement, and ergonomic concerns were hindering their team's productivity and safety.
After transitioning to Jungheinrich® forklifts, they've experienced a dramatic transformation.
"The biggest challenges that we had was the right equipment for the right job," explains a Clint Graflund, VP of Operations at Stone Distributing. "We operate in tight spaces, the team members are on and off the units quite a bit. We had some ergonomic and safety issues with the equipment that we were working with as well."
Recognizing the need for a solution, Stone Distributing partnered with Jungheinrich, and the results have been remarkable. "We've transitioned over to the Jungheinrich stand-up counterbalance ETG over the last year and a half. I was really impressed with these units," they share.
The impact was immediate. "The biggest thing that the team members talked about day one was the smoothness of operation.” says Alfredo Rivera, Warehouse Team Lead. “Also, ergonomically the team really likes it. Jungheinrich forklifts are super-efficient and super smooth."
Personalized comfort and control are key features that resonate with Stone Distributing's team. "My favorite features on the ETG stand-up forklift is the foot pedal. How you can adjust it to be firm, or have some hydraulics to have not so much wear and tear on your knees. I love the armrest as well, you can adjust it so you're comfortable maneuvering the forklift."
Initially, the transition to stand-up units presented a challenge. "These stand-up units were kind of a challenge for our team initially, there was a lot of pushback. But as folks would ride them for about a week or two, we started getting really good feedback from them like, Hey, these are actually easier to maneuver in the aisles, I love being able to just hop off and on the unit when I need to."
Stone Distributing's success highlights the transformative power of the right material handling equipment. If you're looking to enhance your warehouse operations, improve ergonomics, and boost productivity, consider Jungheinrich.
