Peri & Sons Farms

Application

Peri & Sons Farms is one of the largest onion-to-seed companies in the world. The family owned business grows, packs and ships premium onions. The business farms more than 3,035 hectares (7,500 acres) in Yerington, Nevada and Firebaugh, California and employs approximately 200 employees during the peak season.

Challenge

During peak season at its California location, Peri & Sons Farms operates 10-12 hour shifts, six days a week with temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit) with onion peels, thick dust and grit in the air. Due to these conditions, Peri & Sons experienced excessive downtime. The previous fleet’s powertrains would overheat causing the operators to shut down the truck, clear the radiator and wait for the engine to cool. The previous rental fleet experienced excessive wear on the brake system, wheel hubs, the mast and chains due to the demanding environment.

Solution

Now Peri & Sons utilises 17 Crown C-5 Series forklifts to receive onions from the loading trucks, and transport bins up to 453 kilograms (1,000 pounds) of onions from the storage room to weighing and bagging lines. The C-5 is built with industrial components and features that excel in the harshest forklift environments and it features an industrial powertrain with an advanced cooling package. A dual open-core radiator provides separate cooling for the engine and transmission. The truck’s optional On-Demand Cooling system controls the fan speed independently of the engine to maximise cooling performance and automatically clears the radiator each time a user starts the truck. Crown’s exclusive Power Brake System delivers durability and performance advantages that virtually eliminate brake maintenance. Larger axles and hubs provide strength to absorb the shocks of an off-road environment. The C-5’s I-Beam mast construction and large lift chains provide durability and dependability increasing operator productivity and confidence when handling loads.