In an interesting online article on Nursery Management & Production, John Bartok, Jr. schooled nursery and greenhouse owners in the value of using material handling equipment to streamline their operations. Faculty emeritus of the University of Connecticut’s Department of Natural Resources Management and Engineering, Bartok noted that labor is the biggest cost in plant production. He recommended “incorporating material handling techniques and mechanization into a growing operation” to improve nurserymen’s bottom line.In selecting material handling equipment for nursery operations, Bartok cautioned growers to consider the following to which we’ve added our comments based on DJ Products’ years of experience in the material handling business:
- Consider available production space. Small spaces require small-scale equipment like DJ Products’ CartCaddy power tugger that maneuver easily in narrow aisles and can pivot loads a full 90 degrees without jackknifing.
- Select equipment that will reduce peak labor requirements. Manually transporting plants uses valuable personnel resources. DJ Products’ power tugger and electric carts can transport loads of heavy plants quickly and easily, eliminating the need to hire additional workers during peak seasons.
- Bartok said growers can save by reducing walking. By his calculations, at a labor rate of $10/hour, each trip to the end of a 100-foot greenhouse adds 15 cents to a grower’s costs. Using DJ Products’ power tuggers to consolidate trips and maximize productivity can keep costs down.
- Bartok recommended purchasing standard equipment that is expandable. Good advice, but we’d add versatile. The more tasks a single piece of equipment can perform in your operation, the more productive it is.
- Ensuring employee comfort increases productivity. Ergonomically designed DJ Products’ CartCaddy power tuggers and movers are built to eliminate musculoskeletal stress and strain.
Ergonomically designed, compact material handling equipment like DJ Products’ CartCaddys power tugger can help nurseries and other retailers and wholesalers increase production and decrease costs.