Operating the oldest and largest craft brewery in Texas is a pretty big deal. The St. Arnold Brewery in Houston, which employs 18 people and produces more than 14,000 barrels of beer annually, takes this responsibility very seriously.

To manage steady growth and keep operations running smoothly, St. Arnold's owners set out to replace an outdated fleet of lift trucks.

Beverage handling is an extremely delicate business, and using unreliable lift trucks can translate to safety concerns, decreased productivity, potential product damage and flat profits.

“Smooth operations are critical to our business,” says brewery owner Brock Wagner. “With our old forklifts, we experienced too many problems surrounding supply chain management, particularly when moving bulk bottles.”

When Wagner and his crew took into account all of their special materials handling needs, they opted to lease a new line of electric three-wheel lift trucks.

One critical need, common to the many operators in the food industry, was emissions. Wagner says, “Not only is our product sensitive to outside influences, but we have great concern for the health of our employees and the environment. By switching to a 100% AC-powered lift truck, we've made our workplace more eco-friendly and completely eliminated carbon monoxide emissions.”

The switch has resulted in a cleaner work environment and healthier atmosphere for the workers.

Reliability and cost also played major roles in the decision. The all-AC design of the hydraulics and drive motor means fewer wear components, and longer intervals between service help save on yearly maintenance costs.

Manufacturing a perishable product also means refrigeration. St. Arnold's maintains a relatively small, 25-foot by 30-foot cold box where the trucks spend a considerable amount of time. The three-wheel model allows operators maximum maneuverability and increased efficiency in confined spaces.

With a small fleet, maintenance downtime on even one truck can translate to a serious decline in production. So, a planned maintenance schedule prevents gaps in production.

Brewing beer is an integrated process. If one step breaks down, it can result in a total disaster for the end product. Wagner says, “Everyone tends to think about the more attractive part of this process—like brewing and most importantly tasting the beer. Often overlooked are the less glamorous but critical materials handling steps that enable us to put that beer on store shelves.”

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, 888-648-5438, www.mit-lift.com