Geesink Norba

Source: Manufacturing Digital

Date :08/07/2008 10:01:27

More than meets the eye

Written by Ian Armitage and Produced by Alex Smith

Few of us give refuse trucks a second thought; we think of them as trucks that turn up once or twice a week and take our rubbish away. But they are much more than that.

Indeed, some have even gone as far as to say that refuse trucks are the frontline tool in the fight for environmental survival. Exec is inclined to agree – much more is expected of modern refuse collection trucks.

Emmeloord-based Dutch manufacturer Geesink Norba has recognised this and its plant director, Dion Stuifmeel, tells Exec that as the waste collection industry has changed, so have the demands. He suggests that “much more is now demanded” from the once humble, yet noble machine.

“We specialise in one-stop solutions for a wide range of waste management needs,” says Stuifmeel, who knows more than most about the industry. He believes customers today demand “premium-quality products and services”, which focus on efficient refuse collection and compaction.

“We offer a complete line of refuse collection vehicles, static and portable compactors to meet an increasing variety of applications,” he says.

“I could talk for three days about the company and the market without notes and without repeating myself.”

The company has a great pedigree and is a member of the American Oshkosh Truck Corporation, the world’s largest supplier of refuse trucks which, apart from Geesink Norba, owns the McNeilus, Kiggen, Oshkosh, Pierce and Medtec brands.

Leading the way

Geesink Norba is Europe’s leading refuse collection body manufacturer and has branch locations in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom to support local waste haulers. “It makes logistical sense to do this, and in many markets there are customers who prefer it if there is a part of the production that takes place in the local market,” says Stuifmeel.

The company has two manufacturing sites – the main one at Emmeloord, which manufactures bodies and tailgates, and a site in Romania where refuse collectors and compactors are manufactured.

“We’ve changed our focus and even closed one of our manufacturing sites, choosing to concentrate production in Emmeloord,” adds Stuifmeel. “In fact, we’ve doubled production here over the last six months.”

The group’s customers are mainly local authorities and municipalities or the contractors contracted to deal with waste disposal activities.

“We’ll produce a completed unit that is placed onto a truck chassis,” says Stuifmeel, filling in the blanks.

He explains that the way rubbish is dealt with varies from country to country. Transit stations with compaction facilities are more common on the continent than they are in the UK, he says: “If you look at the western European market you find that in Germany and also in Belgium and the Netherlands it is almost impossible to find landfill these days. Most of it has to go to the incinerator. France is developing in the same direction, and as pressure on landfill increases, I think the UK will go the same way.”

Quietly improving the environment

Performance comes second only to safety in Geesink Norba’s list of priorities. However, in the customers’ eyes, performance is measured by more than just speed and reliability; fuel economy, for instance, is important too. Geesink Norba claims to have the most fuel-efficient machines on the market and it is now developing vehicles based on hybrid chassis, which uses a combination of electricity and diesel. “This will be increasingly important, and not just because of fuel economy,” says Stuifmeel.

“There are many benefits, for instance, in big European cities the refuse carriers often work in the small hours and have to be out of the city before 8am. This approach is much quieter to operate the lifters and move the vehicle short distances – then it can shift to diesel for longer distances.”

He adds: “We have to show to customers, the public and municipalities that we are fully aware of environmental issues and that we can build products that can cope with the demands of that area.”

Bright future

The upturn in the underlying economy in the key Benelux, Scandinavian and western European countries should help Geesink Norba to continue to achieve good results not only in 2008, but also in 2009 and 2010. Further afield, the company continues to sell product in China, and is looking at opportunities to expand market share in all regions.

“What you see, in my view, is that the market has been increasing over the last year,” says Stuifmeel. “Production-wise, we want to be the best manufacturer in Europe; the best-in-class. We have already an interesting market share, but if we do step number one, we should also do step number two, which is to increase our market share. We need to do that by having good delivery times, good quality and by supporting our customer through a strong service network.

“In 2009 and 2010 it is important to deliver quality and reliability, so we will continue to do that.”

The Geesink Norba Group specialises in one-stop solutions, and its promise to customers, says Stuifmeel, is that “we will engineer and manufacture equipment that delivers best-in-class performance in the most demanding of conditions.”

Whether you need a simple refuse body or a more complex unit, Geesink Norba is the most logical choice. Its product line includes a full range of rear loader sizes, vertically or horizontally split multi-fraction units, front loaders and side loaders. Additionally, it offers a complete range of static and portable compactors and regularly sets new standards in safety and technology.

“We also set the standard in safety,” says Stuifmeel. “All of our equipment meets the stringent European safety norms and is compliant with CE regulations.”

Geesink Norba regularly integrates new safety technology into its products.

Leading the fight

With concern about global warming reaching new levels, the way we manage waste is being scrutinised. The role companies like Geesink Norba play today, as well as in the future, will no doubt play a part in shaping the policies of tomorrow. Stuifmeel is fully aware of the potential his products hold and is excited about the prospect of leading from the front in the fight to save the environment.