Crown Helps Universal Pure Maximize Forklift Uptime and ROI

Founded in 2001, Universal Pure provides high pressure processing and cold storage solutions for food and beverage manufacturers and other grocery and retail customers across the United States. At its busy Lincoln, NE facility, Universal Pure is responsible for 47,000 chilled and frozen pallet positions totaling more than 670,000 square feet of warehouse space.

In the past, Universal Pure’s approach involved purchasing used forklifts to limit their overall material handling costs. Over time, though, the company learned that spending less to acquire a forklift fleet can often cost more in the long run. Its maintenance team would eventually spend much more time and money to keep a forklift on the job, not to mention the cost of downtime when much needed parts weren’t immediately available. With operations running 24 hours per day, five days a week, Universal Pure needed lift trucks that were affordable yet dependable enough to hold up to the facility’s demanding schedule. They found a solution in Crown’s revitalized Encore® lift trucks.

Through a comprehensive inspection and rejuvenation process, Crown’s Encore lift trucks are completely refurbished to perform exceptionally well at a competitive price. Universal Pure was confident in their decision to depend on Encore trucks since they are backed by an industry-leading one year warranty, the same as a new truck. With that kind of value and dependability, Universal Pure is able to manage both its up-front forklift investment as well as its ongoing operational costs. And when the occasional repair is required, parts are readily available and the forklift is back on the job in no time.

“The Encore equipment has reduced the maintenance compared to the old equipment that it replaced, and it’s definitely increased uptime,” commented Jim Schilf, an operations manager for Universal Pure. “Overall productivity, it has increased substantially.”

The versatility, comfort and control of Crown’s PE Series trucks have also helped improve productivity. The PE Series Encore forklifts are durable enough to withstand the harsh temperatures of the facility and the unrelenting uptime the schedule demands. With ergonomic design and precision handling, the PE Series gets high marks from Universal Pure’s operators compared to the former pallet trucks that left operators feeling physically exhausted by the end of the day.

To learn more about Universal Pure’s experience with Encore lift trucks, visit the customer result on crown.com.