Dairy Day takes delivery of Crown forklifts from Goscor

Leading KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa dairy producer Dairy Day has acquired a range of Crown electric forklifts from local dealer Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC)

“We think very carefully about every capital investment, and after looking at a few options we had no hesitation in choosing Crown equipment from GLTC. The machines are of the highest quality, they are efficient, easy to operate and most importantly, service and the backup support from the Goscor team is excellent,” says Stuart Dickson, Dairy Day warehousing general manager.

Created in August 2014 Dairy Day came into being after it acquired and merged Stonelees Dairies and Honeydew Dairies. The subsequent economies of scale have ensured a secure volume of quality milk and related products to meet the future needs of Dairy Day’s customers.

Its new 15 000m² processing facility in Howick, KZN, where the Crown equipment is being used, can process up to 600 000 l of fresh milk per day. Dairy Day acquired 6 x Crown three-wheel electric forklifts with double batteries to cater for double shifts and 2 x Crown powered pallet trucks also with double batteries.

Part of the deal was a Goscor-supplied battery bay, which was successfully installed based on Goscor’s vast experience of such facilities across a wide range of different warehouse conditions throughout the country.

Dairy Day’s ownership structure is a model of progress and transformation in the dairy industry. It is owned by 31 dairy farmers in Kwazulu-Natal. Each farmer has a shareholding in direct relation to the number of litres he supplies. Dairy Day farmers hold 85% of the shares of the operating entity with the remaining 15% being held by the Dairy Day Farmers Workers Trust, which represents the supplier shareholders’ farm workers.

Dickson says that while the Crown equipment required a slightly greater capital investment than some of its competitors, his company was comfortable that the entire package would cost less in the long run. “Taking into account the efficiency and durability of the machines and the quality of Goscor’s service and support we are sure that over the lifetime of the machines we will get the best possible return on investment,” he says.