As more recycling material was getting processed and revenues were on the rise, Action Metals turned to SENNEBOGEN materials handlers to help the company be even more efficient in moving material in order to grow the business.
By Robert Adeland
When Boris Grinstein took over the reins of his father鈥檚 recycling business in 2018, his first goal was to develop new business and clients. Action Metals has been serving the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area since 1994. The younger Grinstein could see that the business was in need of some renewal and increasing the volume of material in the yard would underwrite his plan to invest in new equipment.
Step one of the plan was highly successful. More material was getting processed and revenues were on the rise. The second step, however, became problematic. Grinstein recalls. 鈥淲e got an excavator and a company converted it for scrap handling. They raised the cab, extended the boom and added a counterweight.鈥�
However, the crew at Action Metals soon learned that the converted excavator was absolutely not the solution they had hoped for. 鈥淚t was an awful experience,鈥� says Grinstein. 鈥淚t wore out real fast. The conversions took the machine 鈥榳ay out of spec鈥�. Everything was vibrating. The cab was swinging like a pendulum. We tried welding in some reinforcements for the cab, but they didn鈥檛 help.鈥�
Looking for a better idea, Grinstein reached out to a nearby branch of ASCO Equipment, part of a growing network of distributors supporting SENNEBOGEN LLC sales and service across the Americas, the Dallas area鈥檚 distributor for SENNEBOGEN purpose-built material handlers. 鈥淎round Dallas, you see SENNEBOGEN everywhere,鈥� says Grinstein. 鈥淥ne yard has five of them running. They have a good name. When you see the green, you know the work is going to get done.鈥�
SENNEBOGEN has been a leading name in the global purpose-built material handling industry for more than 65 years. Based in Stanley, NC, within the greater Charlotte region, SENNEBOGEN LLC offers a complete range of purpose-built machines to suit virtually any material handling application.
Grinstein had actually looked into earlier models of SENNEBOGEN machines several years ago, but he had some reservations about their design at the time. He was pleased to see that, with the new E-Series models, his concerns had been addressed. After comparing three models in the lineup, he placed his order for a crawler-mounted 821 R-HD scrap handler. 鈥淲e looked at the 818, but decided on the larger 821, for its higher capacity,鈥� he reports. 鈥淭he 825 would have been a good option too, but the size of the 821 is a better fit for our yard.鈥�
Just One Way to Grow
The size of the Action Metals yard was a key factor in all of the decision-making for the new unit. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small yard, with really room for just two machines to operate. Especially as our volumes increase. The only way to grow the business is to be more efficient in moving material.鈥�
Choosing the tracked 821 over the rubber-tired 821 was also driven by the size of the yard. While the wheeled model can cover long distances quickly in a larger yard, Action Metals does not have the long aisles to take advantage of the speed. However, the crawler design makes maneuvering more efficient in his compact yard. Models on wheels need to deploy outriggers to stabilize once they are in position for loading, requiring extra set-up time and extra space for its footprint. On tracks, the 821 R-HD has the inherent stability to lift and swing loads, without outriggers, so it goes right to work as soon as it is in position.
鈥淚 Really, Really, Really Like this Machine鈥�
This time, with the 821 on the job, Grinstein is achieving his goals for Action Metals. 鈥淭his machine loads two times faster than the excavator did. We can get into the yard early and ship out seven or eight trailer loads before we open up for the start of the day.鈥�
鈥淭he cycles are faster, so we move more material. I鈥檓 very hands-on with equipment and this is an awesome machine. We can load a trailer full of HMS in just 12 minutes, which would take 20 to 30 minutes using the excavator. I finished one trailer load in just eight minutes, and weighed it in at 79,000 lbs.鈥�
鈥淭he 821 has good reach and the elevating cab has great height; we don鈥檛 even have to go up all the way to see into the trailer. And there鈥檚 no shake. It鈥檚 very stable even when we鈥檙e crashing down on the load. Our operator used to get lower back pains and aches from all the vibration. Not now. And as we say, 鈥楬appy operator, happy yard.鈥欌��
鈥淧urpose-Built鈥� to Save Costs and Downtime
As well as moving more scrap, Grinstein finds that the new SENNEBOGEN is also reducing costs for his yard. He reports no downtime for the machine, and fuel costs are lower. Since the SENNEBOGEN went to work, Grinstein has retired two of his older machines. The 821, he says, can do its own clean-up by easily attaching a magnet in place of the grapple鈥攁 five minute operation. 鈥淭his has a smart generator setup,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t detects faulty connections so, if there鈥檚 any problem, it won鈥檛 power the magnet. It protects itself from shorting out the generator and from damage to the magnet. That was a recurring problem with the excavator.鈥�
鈥淚 hesitated about the money for this kind of new machine,鈥� he admits. 鈥淏ut a lot of yards will do what I did: they have an excavator and just put a grapple on it. It鈥檚 cheaper. But the SENNEBOGEN is really better financially. Every dollar is the best spent money鈥擨 make my payment, and I know I鈥檓 not spending any other money on my crane. I鈥檓 being efficient.鈥� | WA
For more information, call (704) 347-4910, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.sennebogen-na.com.
Robert Adeland is Senior Account Manager at Marketing Strategies & Solutions. The article was submitted on behalf of SENNEBOGEN LLC by Marketing Strategies & Solutions, a full-service communications firm specializing in B2B industrial markets for more than 25 years.