04.12.2007
Ireland-based Quinn Group is a multinational organisation with interests in a range of diverse market sectors. Formed in 1973 by Sean Quinn who was involved in the extraction and processing of sand and gravel which he supplied to local customers. Since then the business has grown rapidly venturing into new markets including financial services, radiators, cement, hospitality, property, plastics, glass manufacture and many more. Approximately ten years ago, Linde Material Handling won a small contract to supply an eight tonne capacity H 80 to work in Quinn’s prestressed concrete section. Today the fleet of trucks has expanded with the growth of the business and a major user of the Linde product.
The Quinn Groups most recent addition to the fleet is Linde’s latest heavyweight diesel forklift, the 12 tonne capacity H 120 with hydrostatic transmission which works in the same application as the first trucks supplied which was an H80D. The truck, which is equipped with a fork spreader beam, operates in arduous conditions transporting and stacking cement slabs weighing up to 11 tonnes and loading and unloading up to 20 lorries a day over an 11 hour shift. The fork spreader beam has been a key enhancement to the business enabling the truck to handle varying load widths, which has helped speed up the process of distributing raw materials and finished products in and out of the site.
John McNally, General Works Manager for Quinn Group is responsible for the fleet and explains, "The trucks have to operate in tough manufacturing conditions here and we need a durable and reliable fleet to withstand some of the arduous conditions." John Wilson of Handling and Storage Equipment Company Ltd, Linde dealer for Northern Ireland, responds, "Our relationship with the Quinn Group goes beyond that of client and supplier. We have worked in partnership with them to ensure that our commitment to provide innovative products and solutions to the challenges they face in a rapidly growing business is always fully met."
The Quinn Group is also the largest manufacturer of radiators in Europe. Here, they have four Linde R 14 S reach trucks operating in the warehouse storing and retrieving up to 500 pallets per day and a mixed fleet of Linde trucks at there Newport Production Plant.
Double pallet handlers are also fitted to the H 40s and H35s, four tonne and three and a ha lf tonne capacity hydrostatic forklifts, operating in the glass manufacturing sector at Quinn, which produces 2.2 billion bottles a year.
In Quinn’s Packaging, a relatively new area of the business, they use double-deep racking in the warehouse facility, storing up to 8,000 pallets. They have a number of R 20 reach trucks lifting up to 9.2 metres with a maximum load of one tonne at the front and 600 kg at the back. A number of LPG powered hydrostatic forklifts, some of which are fitted with reel clamps, are used for general duties in the manufacturing area and also for container stuffing. Two E 10s, unique one tonne capacity stand-on counterbalance trucks designed to work in extremely confined spaces, load and unload the production machinery with the help of a T 20 powered pallet truck.
The Quinn Group has a fascinating and diverse business that intends to continue to expand into new markets. The organisation prides itself on embracing change and new technological development, with the innovative Linde product portfolio, The Quinn Group’s materials handling operation is designed to support them on their journey to further growth.
"Trucks operate around the clock, seven days a week, and reliability is therefore paramount," explained John McNally. "Linde not only provides the hardware but also the after-sales service we need to ensure the continuing success of what is after all a complex operation involving a large and diverse materials handling fleet," he concluded.
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