Bland Farms

Crown C-5 Series Provides Maximum Uptime During Busy Harvest Season

Extended Maintenance Interval Provides Full Season Productivity

Increase Uptime

Extended service intervals allow the C-5 Series to operate 20 hours per day throughout the full harvest season without stopping for maintenance.

Maximize Productivity

Power, stability and comfort enables operators to move upwards of one thousand 1,000-pound bins each day.

Reliable Performance

The standard dual radiator with optional On-Demand Cooling ensures the C-5 Series handles demanding 20-hour days in the Georgia heat.

“If I could tell anybody about what a C-5 has done for my daily business, it’s one less problem I have to deal with. I don’t worry about my forklifts as much as I used to. It’s the best pneumatic I’ve had underneath my shed.”

 
Troy Bland

Chief Operating Officer – Bland Farms

Bland Farms Chief Operating Officer

Application

Bland Farms, near Savannah, GA has grown from a five acre farm in the 1980s to the world’s largest producer of Vidalia onions. Today the family-owned business operates on 2,300 acres of land across the United States while also importing onions from Peru and Mexico and ships about four million boxes annually. With this volume of perishable agricultural products, getting the crop out of the field, processed and placed into refrigerated storage must be completed in near record time.

 

Challenge

During the Georgia operation’s eight-week harvest season a combined fleet of more than 50 lift trucks load more than 2,500 semi-trailers. Each forklift operates up to 20 hours per day with operators moving as many as one thousand 1,000-pound bins daily. Getting this job done on time requires a forklift that can handle the pressure of many heavy loads all day, every day in some harsh conditions, where there’s often dust and fine debris. And there’s the added challenge of the extreme heat and humidity. Exceptional reliability is key to success under this deadline pressure.

Solution

Finding their aging trucks becoming more and more unreliable, Bland Farms reviewed its options and selected the Crown C-5 Series for its high-performance powertrain, precise cooling, ergonomic design and stability. Its reliable performance, reduced repairs and extended service intervals provide the company with maximum productivity when they need it most, enabling them to complete the harvest without stopping for routine maintenance.