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Ponsse has launched a global Operators Club for forest machine operators, with Finland being the first country where the club will begin its operations. Source: Timberbiz This unique community will offer its members, among other benefits, free events and training sessions, opportunities to network with other operators, and direct channel to the Ponsse Vieremä factory – all the way to the company’s owners and product development. The Ponsse Operators Club is a new global community for forest machine operators. It is open to those currently operating forest machines, students training to become operators, teachers at forest machine schools, and professionals working in forest machine education and training. The club will first take place in Finland. Later this year it will expand to Uruguay in South America. The club will then be rolled out to other Ponsse operating countries around the world. More detailed schedules and participating countries will be announced closer to the launch. By joining the club, members receive a wide range of free benefits. These include invitations to events and training sessions held at Ponsse’s premises, where participants can test Ponsse products and solutions. These events also offer opportunities to network with other forest machine operators, regardless of machine brand. “Operators now have the opportunity to influence the development of Ponsse products by sharing their experiences and insights during the events. We want to involve operators more strongly in our product development, and the club enables this on a larger scale,” said Marko Mattila, Chief, Sales, Service & Marketing Officer at Ponsse. “Our founder, Einari Vidgrén, said that forest machine operators are the best experts, and Ponsse wants to listen to them. Establishing this community is therefore a matter of honour for us.” Members of the Ponsse Operators Club will also receive useful information about work ergonomics, solutions that make daily work easier, and the technology behind Ponsse’s cut-to-length harvesting solutions. Finnish operators around the country can now join the club and read more about its benefits at www.ponsse.com/fi/operators-club

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The story of the first-ever Combilift C-Series demonstrates the lasting value of choosing the right tool for the job. Still in operation after 28 years at JG Kelly Supplies in Monaghan, Ireland, the original multi-directional forklift has helped transform the company’s handling of long loads, improving safety, increasing efficiency. Source: Timberbiz Still in operation after 28 years, the original multi-directional forklift has proved that purpose-built equipment can deliver exceptional returns for decades. Before the company started operating a Combilift, traditional forklift methods created significant operational and safety challenges. Long PVC stillages measuring up to six metres had to be moved through a doorway only four metres wide. Conventional counterbalance forklifts could not handle the task safely or efficiently. “Before, we just used to use counterbalance trucks. We had to reverse a lorry in here and we’re on a main busy road in the town,” Operator Tony McManus said. “But now, it just pulls up in the loading bay. We can offload it safely, both sides if needed, with minimal obstruction to traffic.” The C-Series’ multi-directional capability provided the ideal solution, allowing operators to move long loads sideways with greater control and stability, while navigating tight spaces and narrow doorways safely and efficiently. And the benefits extend beyond traffic disruption.  It has also shortened unloading times and significantly improved safety for operators, pedestrians, and passing vehicles. “With the C-Series, it’s less labour intensive than it used to be. It would take a lot of people to offload containers before, but now, one operator can offload a container in a short space of time compared to before,” Mr McManus aid. An additional safety feature is the forklift’s integrated platform, which has further enhanced load stability when handling such long products. Operators can now safely support lengthy stillages during transport, reducing the risks associated with moving oversized loads and making the entire process more controlled and efficient. Safety on site has been greatly improved by the introduction of the C-Series, but equally remarkable is the machine’s longevity. “I never expected we’d still be using the same forklift nearly three decades later. But it’s a testament to the build quality of the machine as it’s still running after 28 years,” JG Kelly Managing Director Paul Kelly said. While multiple conventional forklifts have come and gone over the same period, the original C-Series remains in operation. Its continued performance is attributed to robust engineering, regular preventative maintenance, and responsive local support. “It doesn’t really take much maintenance. We have changed filters or timing belts over the years, but it’s still got the original engine from when it arrived here,” Mr McManus said. Routine checks of oil, coolant, hydraulics, tyres, and greasing have helped keep the machine operating reliably, while major repairs have been rare throughout its 28-year lifespan. Having a machine out of action can have a major impact on day-to-day operations. However, according to Mr McManus, that has rarely been an issue. “In 28 years, it’s very rarely had to be taken away for repairs,” he said. “Any issues we’ve had have usually been fixed on site, and quickly. That’s the main thing, because if the machine is out of action for any length of time, we’re in trouble.”

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