Drop Tables in Rail and Transportation Applications

Drop tables for the transit industry refer to equipment designed and built for maintenance operations to assist the technicians with easy removal of wheel sets, traction motors/combos, and full trucks/bogies of freight cars, transit vehicles and locomotives.

Locomotive drop tables can range from lifting capacities between 5 and 125 tons, incorporating virtually every weight of truck/bogie which requires maintenance.

Handling Specialty Drop tables come in a screw type design for the 20 ton and up capacities, while employing hydraulic actuation for their 5 ton. Through their technical sales professionals and extensive engineering department, Handling can build drop tables to custom specifications where required, and been actively building for the rail and transportation industry for many years.




To learn more, view photos and video, or to contact a Handling Specialty professional please visit: http://www.handling.com/product-categories/rail-maintenance-equipment/drop-tables-2/

Is Trade Built on Enduring Relationships, Rather Than Presidential Elections?

Handling Specialty's President, Thomas Beach is making news in the wake of the Presidential elections. 

"The shock-election of Donald Trump as America’s next president won’t change things for his Grimsby company Handling Specialty, which has enduring business links with the U.S." -  Writes Don Fraser in his article for the Southern Ontario city paper; the St. Catherines Standard on November 9th.

 

“I have relationships that I believe in,” said Beach, Handling Specialty's president. “And I believe they will outlive a short-term ripple effect of Trump’s appointment."

Read the full article here: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2016/11/09/niagara-us-trade-built-on-enduring-relationships 

Bellmouth Inlet Transfer System for Aerospace

The aerospace industry and Handling Specialty have been working together for many years. With clients like Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Bombardier, Lockheed Martin and many others, the number of projects have increased - and with them - the level of technology used to support our clients applications.

Recently, Handling Specialty secured more repeat business with one of our top aerospace customers for several Bellmouth Inlet Transfer Systems. This unit is essentially a robotic arm which positions the engine for assembly.

The unit includes a laser guidance system which allows for precise positioning of the bellmouth.

The Material Handling Equipment Provider for Nuclear Facilities

Handling Specialty works with clients in the nuclear industry to engineer and manufacture massive four post lifts, unique portable tilt and rotate platforms, gimble service lifts, bridges, retubing platforms, and many more custom products to assist in the refurbishment of nuclear reactors, nuclear waste storage, and day to day operations.

One of our massive four post lifts were used in a test facility to train nuclear technicians in the re-tubing process for refurbishing nuclear reactors. The lift was manufactured to extremely tight tolerances to comply to Z299.2 requirements. Case Study

The engineered and manufactured portable tilt and rotate platform was designed for draining dry storage containers (DSC) that held spent nuclear fuel rods at a nuclear facility in Ontario.  An operator uses a hand pendant controller to rotate and tilt the DSC to allow water to drain from the container. The three-degree tilt angle must be maintained for 24 hours for complete drainage to occur. Case Study

Handling Specialty and Atomic Energy of Canada combined forces in the design and manufacture of the lift system used to service AEC gimbles.  The gimble is a device that is mounted to an overhead crane in the reactor tube area of a nuclear power plant.  Positioned on the underside of the crane, the gimble is used to remove old fuel rods and insert new ones into a reactor. The system’s main lift is hydraulic while the second lift is mechanical to ensure accurate positioning. Case Study

Our material handling solutions for the Nuclear industry have been procured multiple times since Handling Specialty’s inception and exhibit a proven success rate of meeting and exceeding the expectations of our clients.

So Many Events on Manufacturing Day 2016

With over 35 Manufacturing Day events planned in Southern Ontario between October 1^st – 7^th, and over 2,000 events across North America, it’s clear to see that the industry is alive and well and looking to recruit new talent. The direction manufacturing is moving demands more young minds able to train on new and emerging technologies in order to continue building on our manufacturing roots.

As manufacturers open their doors to the public for a candid tour and/or learning session, they are focusing their efforts on educating high school students who are about to enter college or the workforce. An education in this potential career path is an eye opening experience, and gives students and other interested parties a real world look inside multiple manufacturing facilities.

Learn about lean manufacturing and Green practices now at work in this important industry.

Just look at the results for the 2015 MFG Day survey: http://www.mfgday.com/resources/2015-event-survey-results

For where and when these events are taking place visit: http://www.mfgday.com/events

The age of the autonomous vehicle

AGV’s, or Automatic Guided Vehicles, have been providing solutions in the materials handling business for many years. With the advent of autonomous vehicles hitting our roadways in the coming years, the story of the AGV is an important one.

 

The very first autonomous guided vehicle was a modified towing tractor that was used to pull a trailer and follow an overhead wire in a grocery warehouse in 1953. In the 60’s towing AGV’s were in operation in multiple industries and by the 70’s they became widespread because of their multi-faceted abilities as a transportation device, work platform, and a link in the controls and information systems for the factory they were placed in.

 

Today AGV’s are everywhere in the handling industry often times replacing forklifts, tuggers and even people as the preferred means to move product through a warehouse or assembly-line. As the technology which drives AGV’s improves, it’s not hard to see that these applications have been imagined outside of the warehouse and onto our streets.

 

In the material handling industry safety has been a major consideration from the beginning and has only become more and more measured as liability and worker moral are taken into account. Ergonomics have also rewritten how employees are effected by the work they do. Autonomous guided vehicles offer both safety and ergonomics eliminating the pushing and pulling of heavy carts and when outfitted with lifting equipment AGV’s assist in alleviating unnecessary back and leg trauma by eliminating bending and lifting.

 

AGV’s are powered by powerful electric batteries, removing fossil fuels from the equation offering a cleaner environment for employees to work in. The Green angle is one that has been trending for years and AGV’s have lead the charge. The argument to employ an AGV system in your warehouse or manufacturing facility is only becoming more and more feasible with costs falling and safety on the rise where they are currently applied.

 

With laser guidance and motion detection as well as zero radius turning, programmable speeds and the ability to follow magnetic tape; AGV’s have never been more in demand around the world.

 

From that first imagined tow tractor on an overhead wire to fully autonomous driverless vehicles on our roads; the AGV has come a long way and is arguably one of the most influential ideas that will take us into a new age of safety everywhere, not just in our warehouses and manufacturing facilities, but in everyone’s daily life.

 

An interesting article on autonomous vehicles and the pros and cons can be found here.

Leadership over Management Makes Sense

Management is a learned skill, but leadership is bred in the bone. Handling Specialty knows how to pick leaders and leaders pick the right people for the right jobs. Leaders inspire great things and great things are exactly what happens at Handling Specialty.  Through exceptional leadership, diversification into broader and niche markets has kept the company creatively working with some of the worlds largest manufacturers and entertainment agencies across multiple industries.

Leadership in every department continues to influence the company’s direction and drives employees to be their best. Employees who know their company believes in them find purpose in their day to day and with purpose comes creativity.

Creativity is an ongoing process at Handling Specialty where unique designs for specific applications from aerospace manufacturing to underwater stage lifts for the entertainment industry have become the norm.

So, to say: the people who influence you the most are those who believe in you, is a true statement where Handling Specialty is concerned. Where this very quote is embedded in the company culture, strengthening the employee-centric attitude, which is prevalent when you meet the professionals within its walls.

You'll see the difference in the work they do for you.

The Automatic Locomotive wheelset turntable

Handling Specialty specializes in locomotive maintenance equipment design and manufacturing, and whether standard or custom, wheel-set turntables are no exception. These automatic locomotive turntables are used to automatically rotate a single wheel-set as part of an automated wheel re-machining center.

To view and inquire visit our Automatic Locomotive Wheel-set Turntable page

 

BEST Material Handling Products EVER

Bragging rights aside, and Handling Specialty has many, they can claim to have the very best material handling products on the market for several reasons. One is engineering and design services. Everything they create has a personal touch to better serve their customers needs. Two is that custom is a very big part of what they do when designing material handling products. If you need something to fit your application that goes beyond the standard scissor lift then they offer the best products in the world. Three - A large portion of their day to day business is through repeat customers.
Clients like Pratt & Whitney, GE, ArcelorMittal, CP Rail, Siemens, the list goes on and on, all of these companies keep coming back for the professional services they receive at Handling Specialty.



The best material handling products are just a phone call away.

An Employee-centric Culture in Material Handling Manufacturing

With a manufacturing plant situated within the Grimsby head offices, Handling Specialty has created an employee-centric culture which promotes information sharing between the shop floor and office environment and vice-versa. This environment of communication is an important aspect of why Handling Specialty has continued to thrive in each department from sales, to engineering, manufacturing and service. It is also why they've received return business from such notable companies as Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, GE, Bombardier, ArcelorMittal, Mercedes Benz, General Motors and many, many more.

 

 

When you understand your limitations, you can work toward change, and an employee-centric culture facilitates that end through open communication in a speedy manner. This not only benefits the company's infrastructure but is realized by their customers as well through the level of quality and support they experience with each piece of equipment produced.

 

A company which practices an employee-centric attitude is far more beneficial to their customer then one which does not. 

 

For examples of Handling Specialty's commitment to quality see https://lnkd.in/eHZ9-Qk

Personnel Lifts for the Rail Industry

Personnel Lifts can be Very Personal Depending on the Industry

Handling Specialty has designed and manufactured numerous personnel lifts for locomotive engine manufacturers. The custom engineered lifts are operated in pairs (with the engine in the center placed on a head stock/tail stock positioner) and allow technicians to safely and ergonomically position themselves during the assembly process. Learn more: http://www.handling.com/all-solutions/personnel-platform-for-locomotive-engine-assembly/

 

 

Pre-Dress and Strip Bays for Engine Lifts

Lifting jet engines in excess of 30,000 lbs requires various electrical and mechanical operational safety mechanisms to protect the equipment during normal operations. It also requires know-how and experience. International aerospace companies use Handling Specialty to engineer and manufacture custom lifts for their jet engine pre-dress and strip bay facilities.

With multiple clients and return business, Handling Specialty should be your first consideration when shopping for jet engine dress & strip bays.  

 

For more information, or to inquire about our services, please contact Mike Roper.

What custom engineered material handling really means

Custom stands for something. It stands for integrity, creativity, experience, engineering, manufacturing, support, passion and the trust placed in the people employed to imagine the custom solution that will transform a factory, facility or warehouse for the better. Custom material handling is more than three words strung together to attract business. Building custom equipment is a way of life. It requires technically savvy sales people, an engineering department which includes hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, software designers, purchasing departments skilled in procuring the proper equipment, manufacturing professionals to piece together the newly imagined equipment, knowledgeable installation, training and after-market professionals who will support and maintain the custom material handling equipment. With so many important roles involved in the process, a synergy between departments to allow for a seamless flow of ideas and experience is absolutely necessary in seeing each project through.

So why choose Handling Specialty for this task? Over 50 years of engineering, manufacturing and support services. Countless case studies with an impressive client portfolio, testimonials from industry leaders, repeat customers and an employee-centric attitude. Educating and keeping our employees involved in each success is an important function of Handling Specialty because we believe the more involved we all are in the end result, the more pride goes into our next project.

Cirque du Soleil Talks up Handling Specialty in New Article on Stage Lifts

“We sell smart motion.” Tom Beach, President of Handling Specialty pronounced in a recent article written by Mike WIlliscraft for the July/August edition of Club West magazine. This simple yet profound quote is many layered. Handling Specialty sells motion, whatever the need: lift, lower, tilt, vertical travel, horizontal traversing. Handling also offers their custom engineered products to multiple industries, drawing on over 50 years of design and manufacturing experience.

What is special about Handling Specialty? That the term ‘motion’ not only applies to standard and custom uses, but niche opportunities such as underwater stage lifts. This is what the article in Club West focuses on, and is well worth the read. 

What the Heck is an AGV System?

 

An AGV system, or automated guided vehicle system, otherwise known as an automated guided vehicle, autonomous guided vehicle or even automatic guided cart, is a system which follows a predestined path around a facility. AGV’s are mechanical vehicles which carry a load through either an assembly, manufacturing or warehousing facility.

 

An industrial AGV system is built to withstand very heavy loads as in Truck Outfitting assembly plants, which carry the frame through the assembly process. These AGV’s almost always require a custom design with tooling options in order to work with the assembly or manufacturing plant’s specific applications.

 

No longer are AGV’s built to follow fixed tracks which were traditionally built into the floor of a facility to guide the vehicles, but rather magnetic tape or QR coded tape via the AGV’s laser guidance system. Unlike tracks built in to the floor, the tape allows for easy and affordable reconfiguration of the facility’s floor operations.

 

AGV systems are battery operated, which also include a manual option for bringing the vehicle off the line for charging or maintenance tasks. They are usually fitted with motion stop sensors and kick stops for added safety. Each AGV is programmed to follow a course set by the QR coded tape as well as obey pre-programmed speeds to further customize the client’s specific applications and assembly needs.

 

An AGV system is an excellent addition to any busy operation in the manufacturing industry. Benefits include heightened safety, ergonomics, efficiency and flexibility in floor design. An AGV can be built to hold and carry virtually any weight capacity and with advancements in motion control, the AGV of the future is already here.

 

Industrial AGV systems are built for multiple industries including automotive, aerospace, food processing and other assembly and manufacturing applications.

 

For examples of an industrial AGV in application you can visit Handling Specialty’s Youtube pages and learn more about the AGV system on the website’s AGV Case Studies.

Harmony of the Seas Underwater Stage Lifts, Revealed

Ever wonder what the mechanics of an underwater stage lift looks like? Watch what was built for The Fine Line; the AquaTheater - aqua show - on Harmony of the Seas. This is the third installation of an aqua theatre for Handling Specialty with Royal Caribbean's Oasis class cruise ships. Another underwater stage system is being completed in Grimsby, Ontario for the fourth addition to the Oasis class ships.

Automated Guided Vehicle in Application for Truck Outfitters

Our new AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) is being put to work in the facility it was designed for. Engineered specifically for Truck Outfitting, these autonomous guided carts move through the assembly line along a tape featuring printed QR codes which the laser guidance mechanism reads: telling the machine how fast or how slow to move so the work can be done at the proven speed. The affordable option to alter the tape in order to change the facility's assembly path is a great option available to Handling Specialty's AGV systems, rather then placing the guided carts on a fixed track.

IN NEED OF SERVICE ON YOUR HANDLING EQUIPMENT?

When you decide to purchase a Handling Specialty product, you’re not just buying a product, you’re buying a custom engineered and manufactured piece of handling equipment created for your specific application. You’re also buying the piece of mind which comes with the decision to use Handling Specialty, and that piece of mind extends beyond the installation of, and training on the unit. We have experienced service technicians available 24/7 to address any issues you may experience, and for technical questions concerning the operation or maintenance of your unique equipment.

To ensure the long life and safety of your equipment, and to protect your investment while reducing downtime, we recommend regular service as recommended in your custom equipment manual, maintaining a spare parts inventory, and scheduling annual inspections.

To order more parts, schedule an inspection, training session, or planned maintenance please contact Handling Specialty’s Parts and Services Group.

Automatic Wheelset Turntables for Rail industry

The automatic wheelset turntable enables the easy movement of wheelsets and bogies between different rails which feed the various machine tools like wheel presses and lathes.

Handling Specialty has developed a turntable for several rail/transportation clients and receive multiple return orders because of the quality and durability of the products we design, manufacture, install and support.


Experience the ultimate in locomotive maintenance handling equipment for yourself: https://lnkd.in/eyCXc2R
Visit www.handling.com

Pratt & Whitney's preferred vendors attending the Environmental, Health & Safety Vendor Fair

Today our Sales manager, Michael Roper is in Middleton, Connecticut as one of Pratt & Whitney's preferred vendors attending the Environmental, Health & Safety Vendor Fair. This aerospace focused event allows Pratt & Whitney executives to stay current on what their vendors offer. The Handling Specialty booth displays several case studies (many of which were designed and manufactured for Pratt & Whitney specifically)to keep us Top of Mind.

With a project currently in the works for the company; a Pre-dress bay at their Mirabel, QC facility - a workstation lift which will lift engines from AGV’s to be prepared for testing, Pratt & Whitney and Handling Specialty enjoy an excellent professional partnership.

Aerospace Manufacturing Demands Excellence

Boeing, Bombardier, Lockheed-Martin, NASA, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation; these are some of the companies who trust us to design and build their manufacturing equipment for the aerospace sector. Is it time you considered an experienced design and manufacturing firm who understands your custom applications?

 

Handling Specialty custom engineers and manufactures lift, rotate, tilt and traversing equipment to help customers assemble and manufacture their products efficiently, ergonomically and with greater confidence and this experience extends to the multi-faceted industries that make up Aerospace and Defence manufacturing.



Handling Specialty has supplied a number of custom vertical assembly stations to Lockheed Martin for the wing assembly of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. We have also created several Jet engine testing and pre-dress bays where the engines being lifted weigh in excess of 30,000 lbs.



Find a wide array of solution stories to support our claim that we build big things so our customers can build big things.

The Canadian Rail Summit Success

Handling Specialty exhibited recently at the Canadian Rail Summit, 2016 and saw 400 attendees drop in for a chance to speak with our representative, Rick Breznik, and drop their cards for a chance to win one of our draw prizes.

 

“We came away from this show with some strong leads,” explains Breznik, the Transportation Product Manager at Handling Specialty. “We like to stay top of mind with our customers and meet potential customers by exhibiting at these shows.”

 

Handling Specialty is a Whiting company which is heavily embedded in the transportation and rail industries. Handling Specialty has produced multiple jobs for these industries as well and continues to sell, build, install and support from their Grimsby headquarters and well as their second plant in Hamilton, Ontario.

 

Top prize of four bottles of Niagara wine went to Mike Arnew, of KM&T while secondary prizes of a $25 LCBO gift card went to Kam Leong of Metrolinx and Jeanette Ainey of the TTC.

Canadian Rail Summit 2016 Exhibitor - Handling Specialty

The Canadian Rail Summit 2016 exhibitor hall will be open from 8:30am to 5pm on Thursday, May 12, and from 8:30am until noon Friday, May 13^th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Explore cutting-edge products and services from 60 tradeshow exhibitors where Handling Specialty will be located in booth 116.

 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see the latest in rail and transportation safety and emerging technologies. http://www.railwaysuppliers.ca/english/events/canadian-rail-summit-2016.htm

 

Handling Specialty is a Whiting company; renowned for their Shim Tables, Drop Tables, Split Rail Systems, Paint Booths, Overhead Gantries, Stencil Booths and Nose Cone Lifts to name a few products in the Rail industry.

 

For more on what Handling Specialty can do for you visit http://www.handling.com/industries/rail-transportation-manufacturing-equipment/

Watch AGV’s Navigate QR Coded Tape for an Assembly Plant.

Whether you call them an AGV or AGC's, automatic guided vehicles have transformed assembly plants, manufacturing facilities and warehousing. Here you can watch as they move along a QR coded tape laid along an assembly line floor where each QR gives a command to the AGV on speed and function.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/dQf83z2B2KU

Why incorporate an automatic guided vehicle into your facility?

Automatic and Manually Guided Vehicles offer industries the opportunity for rapid growth of their manufacturing and assembly lines and come in custom shapes and sizes to fit the application. With an experienced Engineering department and Technical sales professionals to help assess your needs, Handling Specialty is your one stop shop for AGV and MGV's.

Automatic and manually guided vehicles are used for multiple applications in manufacturing and assembly facilities to assist in the transportation of product through the line or from the manufacturing floor to the warehouse. Handling Specialty’s vehicles are custom engineered, programmed and manufactured to our clients tooling, safety and specific operational needs to enhance their facility’s efficiencies and support employee morale by creating an ergonomically friendly work environment.
Find out more on the Handling Specialty website.

It does What?! Improve your Assembly Line with the Newest AGV on the Market

Not all AGV's – otherwise known as AGC's - are created equal. Handling Specialty's customized automatic guided vehicle was designed, built and tested at their facilities for a truck-body builder who required specific application details and safety options which Handling Specialty delivered.

The programming of the unit was developed to read each QR code on the adhesive smart tape placed on the manufacturing floor; altering speed, direction and functionality. A simple, yet advanced system of airbags and wheels at the center of the unit allow it to lift and spin 360 degrees when required. This particular AGV includes a Brushless DC servo motor to keep maintenance costs down, and has the capacity to hold 12,000 lbs.

Not only can this AGC be guided automatically via tape, the unit can also be manually guided when the situation presents itself i.e. positioning the unit or removing it from the assembly line for maintenance and charging its eight TPPL, 48 VDC voltage batteries. By plugging in a hand operated control and turning a key, the laser is disabled and the operator has full control over the AGV’s movements. A series of lights on the side of the AGV alerts the operator when they have control.

Handling Specialty has developed a truly unique take on the traditional Automated Guided Cart/AGC and placed them selves firmly in the future, where technology continues to assist the assembly line in efficiency, ergonomics and safety.

20 units were ordered to revitalize the manufacturing floor of an automotive assembly plant. Find a video of this automatic guided vehicle here

To get in touch with Handling Specialty contact Mike Roper at 1-800-559-8366.

Steel Manufacturing Transfer Cars Need to be Tough

Assembly line Transfer Cars are built to withstand the harsh manufacturing environments of a steel mill as well as endure continuous cycling. All Handling Specialty transfer cars have this capability whether a client requires a standard model or customized version with a self-propelled system which incorporates specialized hydraulic and electrical components.

1. For more information on these rugged and reliable transfer cars visit handling Specialty today.
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4. Or call us at 800-559-8366

Ladle Lifts for Firebrick Re-bricking Changed the Way Steel Industry Operates

Traditional scaffolding used in the re-bricking process in many steel factories was replaced by Ladle lifts as a safer and more reliable option. Refractory firebrick in pour ladles require continual replacement and the Handling Specialty ladle lift was designed as the perfect solution. The lift is loaded into the ladle using a crane, and can be moved to the next ladle requiring re-bricking. These two stage scissor lifts are designed to withstand harsh melt shop environments, improving efficiency in the factory.

 

This custom model also includes three sets of aluminum extensions which connect on the lip along the outside of the platform. Each extension allows for larger size ladles to be re-bricked, whether oval or round.

 

The heavy–duty scissor lift raises and lowers the operator and bricks via a hand-held controller for ease of operation while handling loads of up to 10,000 lbs. The lift is loaded into the ladle using a crane, and can be moved to the next ladle requiring re-bricking.

Watch the video: http://www.handling.com/company/blog/ladlelifts-for-re-bricking-the-steel-industry/

The Entertainment Industry and Manufacturing Combine to Create a Great Show!

If you caught our blog post concerning the City of Dream's theatre build, which featured the Amazing Race in December of 2015, then you will be interested to know that this event was not overlooked by the material handling industry. Entertainment is always news-worthy, and when a manufacturer can break into the story for their accomplishments, it puts a spotlight on manufacturing and the hidden work we do to assist in making the entertainment world function seamlessly.

Click here for the full article in Plant Magazine's January/February edition on page 22, or find it in the 'Contents' section under Material Handling.

Manufacturing Turbines for Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy?

Handling Specialty has been designing, building and supporting products like multi-stage  turbine lifts for decades, and has engineered lifts which amplify safety and ergonomics. In particular, the at-grade, or below-ground level, multi-stage scissor lift, allows the employees to remain on the ground as the turbine raises and lowers at the worker’s level, rather than the employee raising and lowering on a platform to meet the different segments of the turbine. The ground level lift eliminates stair cases and heights associated with traditional above ground turbine lifts, reducing the possibility for accidents including falling from a great height. The platform featured below includes two round removable plates, which can be manufactured in a variety of sizes to fit any turbine diameter.

This scenario is not always ideal for the factory’s architecture, or the manufacturer’s needs, but having your personnel remain on the ground while they build or maintain massive turbines for the Gas, Oil, and Energy industries does offer increased safety and ergonomics which, in turn, can lower costs due to employee injury, and raise morale in the company.

Even with safety features like safety lock-up bars to hold the lift in a raised position for regular maintenance, and hydraulic cylinders equipped with velocity fuses to provide rate of descent protection, the above-ground turbine scissor lift is not as safe as the below-ground version because operator complacency is a danger in every instance where heights are involved.

In order to increase your peace of mind, a below-ground lift is an ideal solution to turbine manufacturing applications. For more on these custom or pre-engineered versions of a turbine lift, please visit our website, or call directly.

• Below-Ground Turbine Lifts
• Above –Ground Turbine Lifts
• Four-Post Turbine Lifts

Expo Rail, Mexico Key-Speaker from Handling Specialty

ExpoRail 2016 was held in Acapulco, Mexico this year. The annual tradeshow saw over 600 visitors from around the world, including major railroad and rail vehicle repair facilities in Mexico such as CEMEX, Ferromex, Tytal and Progress Rail.

Rick Breznik shared a booth with Comercial Cidamsa, the Whiting representative based in Mexico, which saw plenty of action in their corner booth over the course of the event.


Potential customers stopped to chat with Rick and his team to discuss products like our Electric jacks, Rip jacks, Paint booth lifts, Intermodal lifts and our extensive spare parts program. Several company representatives of current Whiting customers approached Rick and his team concerning replacement parts to their existing rail equipment as well.


At the booth, representatives offered information, brochures, and give-aways such as location-appropriate sunglasses; to keep the brand top of mind.


Comercial Cidamsa has been operating for over forty years and have two offices – one in Mexico City and another covering the north-eastern peninsula.


Rick also gave a 20 minute slide presentation on Handling Specialty/Whiting Rail Products as one of the show’s Key-speakers.

About the Importance of Relationships in the Materials Handling Business

For years now, we have enjoyed stating in our covering letters that “Handling Specialty doesn’t just build great equipment….we build great relationships too”.  Our team recognizes and respects the important role that the relationship plays when delivering customized and complex engineering solutions.  We learned long ago that a project’s success will be heavily weighted on the shoulders of “trust”……I mean is there anything more significant, more impactful or more rewarding than the trust employed in a relationship?

I look at the schematics of a project and see three distinct relationship platforms, all working at the same time; interaction with our customer, interaction within our HS Staff and interaction with our supply chain.  Each one of these platforms is critical to the success of a project. I want a client to know that they can trust us.  I want a client to feel like we have his best interests at heart and I want a client to think he can share anything with us without feeling like he is compromising his project.

At HS, experience has taught us to count on each other for great communication and support.  We call it “walk a mile in my shoes” which serves as our way of recognizing that anyone’s job is easy until you do that job and find that there is a lot more to it. As such, we must take care in our communications to one another.  Equally we need to count on our teammates to carry out their responsibilities and it is here where we are called upon to “trust” the other.  This trust will glue the departments together to become whole and our clients will feel and see this which in turn cements our relationship with them. 

Last, and certainly not least, are the relationships we have with our supply partners.  Notice that I did not say supply chain or suppliers….that doesn’t give enough respect to them for the role they play.  I always want a solid relationship with my suppliers so that I can call on them to support us when we have equipment challenges or warranty situations.  You will always be able to identify the depth and strength of your supply partner’s relationships when something goes wrong and it involves them.  If a supplier trusts Handling Specialty then they will be quick to respond and to assist in the care of our clients.  These are the supplier partners that we continue to use and we can pass on the power of these great relationships to our customers.  

Trust, trust, trust…..it is the foundation of good relationships and good business.  

Originally posted by Tom Beach, President of Handling Specialty and reposted here with his approval.