Upgrading the fleet: Sims Brothers updates its fleet of material handlers to meet the company's demanding requirements.

Handling 150,000 tons of scrap materials annually, Sims Brothers Inc. of Marion, Ohio, has considerable material handling chores to tackle.

The diversified company handles commercial scrap paper, curbside recyclables and nonferrous metals at its facility. But, located in the heart of steel country, Sims Brothers handles and processes ferrous scrap in the largest amounts.

The company's family roots trace back to the 1920s. Today it is run by a team of key managers that includes Gary and Larry Sims and their sister Connie Home.

A truck fleet serving north-central Ohio brings in the scrap metal that will be unloaded, processed and shipped out from the Marion facility. A need to maintain a level of productivity that allows the company to compete in the global scrap market drove Sims Brothers to make a number of recent equipment upgrades, with research spearheaded by Jim Macaluso (Mac), vice president of Ferrous Operations.

When the company's tons-produced-per-day figure began dropping, it was deduced that the company's aging material handlers were no longer able to keep pace with the requirements of the job. Although still good machines, they had lead a productive life, but now it was time for new equipment. When Mac heard that a nearby facility was using a big, green Sennebogen machine, he became curious to learn more. He had seen advertising for the machine in trade publications and soon arranged with the people at Sennebogen North America, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., to bring one in for a demo. The rest is history.

Today, Sims Brothers has five Sennebogens working in Marion. The first model they brought in was an 835 M that featured a longer boom that could work a larger magnet. This meant shorter cycle times and increased productivity.

But it wasn't Mac's decision alone. Keeping in mind the Sims family philosophy about teamwork and mutual respect, it was a group decision. However, it was easy getting consensus. From an operational standpoint, as well as a comfort level, the operators loved the new hydraulic cab. Maintenance people loved it because of its designed-in simplicity. Management loved it because it could outlift any other machine in its class, meaning increased productivity.

"We may be equipment pioneers, but we are driven by production numbers," says Mac. "If the numbers didn't work, we wouldn't have bought the first one, much less standardize our fleet with Sennebogens." The 55-foot boom, bigger magnet, easy access for all maintenance points and cabs that please operators all pointed to buying the test Sennebogen 835 M green material handling machine.

"We keep exact records on every piece of equipment in the yard, and if it cannot produce because of age or hours, then it becomes an easy decision to buy. The tough decision is to choose the right one," says Macaluso.

The other part of the equation was the parent organization Sennebogen GmbH. The pleasant surprise was that, just as there is a Sims family, there is a Sennebogen family, and the two families share a great deal in common. Both are second generation, both have established a business on family values and both listen not only to their customers, but also to their employees, the people who are on the front line.

Choosing Sennebogen was still related to selecting the right equipment to do the right job at the right price. "We chose Sennebogen because it is the right equipment for our operation," Mac says. "Our units now have increased reach and pick more. At the end of the day, with a faster cycle time, we ended up with three extra hours of productivity," he says of Sim's five 835 M units.