Megatrade Corp. Video Case Study – Toyota Forklift

Toyota Forklifts & Megatrade

Announcer: Few home building materials have the durability and beauty of ceramic and porcelain tiles. Megatrade is a leading provider of these beautiful tiles. Their products are imported from some 30 different suppliers all over the world. Italy, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Brazil, and China. Megatrade actually owns two factories and a mine in Venezuela that supplies much of its products.

They are all available to be seen in the showroom at the company’s distribution center and headquarters in Doral, Florida. Megatrade is one of the top suppliers of tile throughout the southeast. In fact, if you buy tile products at a Home Depot in this part of the country, chances are good that you will be purchasing Megatrade tiles. The company only sells through distributors and leading home improvement stores.

The company’s 110,000 square foot distribution center receives the imported tiles in about 60 containers that pass to them each week through the south Florida ports of Miami and Port Everglades. They are checked and labeled as they are unloaded from the containers.

Megatrade carries over 1000 different tile products. Toyota forklifts do all the heavy lifting of these tiles with some loads weighing as much as 4000 pounds.

Ruben C: When I first came in, they had other brand of forklift. And I had the experience of dealing with Toyota before, and I asked Toyota to come in. Since then, and you’re talking about 14 years, we been strictly Toyota user. One of the reasons why we like Toyota is if you give a good maintenance, they’ll never quit on you.

Announcer: There are eight Toyota forklifts in a fleet at Megatrade. All core propane powered counterbalance models with 5000 pound lift capacities. The forklifts transport the tiles to floor storage within the warehouse, where they are stacked one on another.

The three stage masts enable the forklifts to easily reach up to 18 feet high, to the tops of the stacks. Toyota’s system of active stability, SAS, active mast control, AMC, and side shift attachments make it easy to handle, deposit, and secure the loads even at high heights.

Ruben C: When we put one pallette right on top of the other, they all have to stay aligned so that the weight is always on the pallettes and on the tile. It is very important that when we are setting up one pallette on top of the other one, they are aligned. And that’s why we use the, also the shift to one side or the other one, just to make sure all the pallettes are right on top of the merchandise. And that’s the strength of the load the tile.

Announcer: Space in the warehouse is tight. These Toyota forklifts are very maneuverable, and can easily navigate the narrow spaces and tight turns between the stacks.

Ruben C: They can turn in right on the same spot that they use. We working for eight solid hours. Without stopping, only for a break, and for lunch time. They work to maximum capacity. We are lifting two, three, 4000 pounds on pallettes. Unloading trailers. Loading trailers. Picking merchandise. Moving merchandise and stocking it into the warehouse. And they never quit, and they are constantly there, they’re very reliable.

To me, having a forklift that is down costs us money. You see the kind of volume that we have here, every time a forklift is down I have one down man also. And I cannot afford to have a down man when we have so much work.

Announcer: About 70% of the facility’s orders consist of full pallettes, with pallettes of mixed cases making up the remaining 30%. The stock is pulled for orders, and loaded onto outbound trucks. About 10 to 12 truckloads leave the facility daily. These forklifts work hard, only stopping to exchange propane tanks and for employee breaks.

They have to perform. And it is because of their dependability and the top notch service that Megatrade receives from Toyota and the local Toyota forklift dealer, Nationwide Lift Trucks, that these forklifts were chosen in the first place.

Ruben C: If you give them maintenance, it will never, never let you down. In reference to customer service, we have a schedule, regular maintenance, and they just call me every three month I says, “We going there. Which, at what time and what day you want,” and that’s the way it works with them. I have no problem.

In reference to the sale personnel, I have like a friend. They are very enthusiastic, and they have serve all my needs. That is a good partnership between them and us.