A leading wine bottling operation has extended its 28-year partnership with Toyota forklift trucks by commissioning five new machines.   

Toyota Material Handling Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Toyota Industries Corporation, the global leader in materials handling solutions.

NSW-based Hunter Bottling Company commissioned the five new 3000kg payload Toyota 32-8FGK30 forklifts at its Pokolbin facility at the end of June 2009. These five forklifts take the Group's forklift fleet to 13 Toyota machines.

Hunter Bottling Company general manager Russell Smith said that the latest-generation Toyota 8-Series forklifts with electronic gas injection and three-way closed-loop catalytic converters meant the company had switched from battery electric to internal combustion forklifts inside the bottling warehouse facility.

According to Russell Smith, their parent company bought its first Toyota forklift in 1982, which is still in operation.

Hunter has been using Toyota forklifts ever since in both electric and gas versions including one that has been in operation for over 20 years. 

Listing out the advantages, he says Toyota forklifts are reliable performers and long-lasting machines with superior product quality, high safety features and excellent back-up support.

Mr Smith said that the five new Toyota forklifts had been custom-specified for the company's requirements including individual PIN access for each operator and seatbelt interlock.

The company chose the Toyota 32-8FGK30 compact forklifts for their combination of lifting capacity and ability to work in a tight warehouse environment.

Key features of Toyota 32-8FGK30 forklifts:

3700mm full free-lift masts to be used in the low overhead clearance areas such as the de-palletising area where free lift is essential Two-stage mast maximises forward vision Three-way closed-loop catalytic converter system and EFI engines Deluxe multi-function display, and travel and load-handling control including load weight indicator, speed limiting and speed alarm PIN code access and seatbelt interlock ensure only approved employees can operate the machine Part of Toyota's leading edge 8-Series range of forklifts Toyota's exclusive System of Active Stability (SAS) and Operator Presence Sensing (OPS) as standard safety features