STILL officially opened its new European Refurbishment Centre for used trucks in Rokietnica near Poznań, Poland, on Friday 11 April 2014. STILL is a leading supplier of customised intralogistics solutions worldwide, and with this investment it underlines its strategy in the European used machines market. Around 2,000 trucks per year can be fully refurbished here on an area of 2,500 m2.

The decision in favour of Rokietnica for the Refurbishment Centre also demonstrates the appreciation of the STILL Poland branch, which has refurbished used machines since 2007. Well-trained skilled staff and a modern working environment ensure the high quality of the “Premium” used machines which STILL markets again throughout Europe via its own direct distribution system. Different machines can undergo a full engineering overhaul simultaneously at 20 workstations. The trucks receives a visual facelift in the truck wash unit and paint shop.

Compared to the previous location, the new Centre offers space for truck storage and a representative exhibition. The additional area also allows the practical demonstration of the forklifts and various quality and safety tests. Piotr Piotrowski, manager of STILL’s Refurbishment Centre in Poland, explains that “By increasing the number of workplaces, several dozen industrial trucks can be refurbished at the same time.” During the presentation of the new site, Piotrowski stresses that “Twenty workshops, each with an area of 36 m², enable the efficient overhaul of every truck. In that way we can also respond to customer’s wishes in the refurbishment process and can take account of special features for the future use of the trucks.”

After all the work is complete, each machine is issued with a guarantee that certifies the high standard of quality and safety. STILL had already introduced a used machine classification in 2003, with levels of Gold, Silver and Bronze. This system, which is standardised throughout Europe, classifies each machine based on the characteristics of engineering, visual appearance, machine age and – for electrical trucks – the state of the battery. Although the trucks in all the levels of classification are tested to FEM standards, the silver category for example includes high-quality new paintwork, checking of all the engineering components and a warranty of several months. Trucks in the gold class are also given a full repaint, a general overhaul of the engineering and a guarantee of up to twelve months.

The demand for used trucks in the intralogistics sector has grown steadily in recent years. Companies are increasingly opting for second-hand machines, especially in Southern and Eastern Europe as well as in the growth markets of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Marco Riewe, manager of STILL GmbH’s Rental and Used Trucks Division, explains that “Today more than 50 percent of the trucks are already in leasing or rental contracts, with a rising trend. These machines are returned after the agreed leasing or rental period and are made available again on the second-hand market. After the workshop overhaul of our used forklifts, the trucks are indistinguishable from a new machine either visually or technically, except for the number of operating hours.” In terms of turnover, he says that on average there is already one used truck for every second new machine sold.

This is why the CeMAT trade fair, which is held in Hanover from 19th to 23rd May, takes this trend into account and has reserved an exhibition area especially for the presentation of used industrial trucks. Wolfgang Pech, business area manager for the German Trade Fair AG, says “That is an important supplementary market which is developing very dynamically. As one of the world’s leading trade fairs, we will now present it at the CeMAT. Used machines play a significant role especially from the sustainability point of view.” The reason is that in steel manufacture, around 2.2 kilograms of CO2 are emitted per kilogram of steel. If the weight of steel in all the STILL used trucks sold in Germany in 2012 is added together, the result is that around 26,000 tons of CO2 were saved compared to the production of new machines. Therefore refurbishing forklifts protects the environment and conserves natural resources.