Greater Austin Merchants Association

WITH CUSTOMERS RELYING ON THEM FOR ON-TIME DELIVERY, GAMA EXPECTS THEIR LIFT TRUCKS TO PERFORM

Greater Austin Merchants Association, or GAMA, is a wholesale distribution center that serves more than 450 independent convenience store and gasoline station owners in the greater Austin, Texas, area. They represent over one-third of the convenience store industry in central Texas, and with customers relying on them for on-time delivery of product, GAMA expects their lift trucks to perform.

After experiencing some maintenance issues with their previous walkies, GAMA’s management team reached out to their local Jungheinrich^® dealer to learn more. Naushad Manashia, delivery manager at GAMA, says, “We were having some problems with our existing walkies. We definitely had issues where it would break down quite often. We had repairs that came in quite a bit, and the cost of repairs was really high.”

A Jungheinrich walkie demo unit was brought in for operators to try, and Manashia says, “I think that once (operators) started using it, they immediately came back and said, 'We need more equipment.'”

 

BETTER MANEUVERABILITY & LONGER RUN TIMES

One of the first operators to try the Jungheinrich walkie explains why he likes it. “I personally love it," he says. "These versus the previous ones…these are way more balanced. The speed and efficiency of them is a lot better. There’s zero wobble. The lift is higher and smoother. I walk with my order sheet in my hand and do everything one-handed.

“The previous jacks we had, I had to use both hands. It was really rough,” he continues. “It gets really crowded and busy in here, and the spaces get very, very small. With the previous jacks, we’d have to move everything out of the way. With these (Jungheinrich walkies), you can get in and out of spaces you wouldn’t even think you could. So it’s been wonderful.”

GAMA’s operators are very busy throughout the day picking and fulfilling orders for customers. They need forklifts that are easy to maneuver with long run times that don’t require operators to stop their shift and charge a battery. One operator remarked, “I’ve noticed it lasts around…sometimes three days without going on charge.”

20% MORE PRODUCTIVITY

Less than a year after trying the Jungheinrich walkies in their facility, GAMA now relies on 16 EJE 120s to keep its business moving. The operators are happy, and as one forklift operator states, “I basically work with it every day, all day. It’s like my best friend when I’m working.”

GAMA’s management is also happy with the purchase decision. Manager Arepalli Reddy stated that GAMA has seen a 20 percent increase in productivity since switching to Jungheinrich.