event-mietservice (EMS) in Langenhagen near Hanover has everything you need for a successful party. The company, which claims to be Germany's first rental wholesaler for the event industry, stocks an extensive range of more than 2,500 items for various occasions - from crockery and cutlery to table linen and tent sets. Two Aisle Master articulated forklifts are used in the company's warehouse. Before event-mietservice moved into its new premises in 2014, Managing Director Hendrik Seigwasser realized that the limited flexibility of the front-loading forklifts previously used would be unsuitable for the new location. While reading a report in a trade magazine, he came across the Aisle Master forklift truck. When he was at a trade fair in Hanover on business, he saw for himself at a demonstration on the Combilift stand that the truck would meet his requirements.

Flexibility required
"The wide variety of loads that we have to transport every day requires a high degree of flexibility. Our product range is housed in various containers such as Euro pallets and trolleys and also includes bulky and wide goods such as party benches. Finding a single type of forklift that could provide an 'all-round service' was therefore a priority. For many Aisle Master customers, the narrow aisle application is the deciding factor, but for me it was the versatility and maneuverability of these articulated trucks."

The specifications of the models were determined in consultation with the consultants from HFH Herbst Gabelstapler und Lagertechnik GmbH. The narrow 15SE models are electrically powered, have a width of 1,240 mm and a triplex mast with a lifting height of 6,000 mm. To ensure optimum handling of the larger loads, 1,200 mm forks have been fitted - longer than the standard forks. The load capacity of 1,500 kilograms is more than sufficient to place even the heavy loads at EMS, such as the 1.2 ton pallets of crockery on the top shelves with a height of 5.80 meters.
"The coordination of the commissioning of the then new warehouse and the forklift delivery had to be perfectly coordinated to ensure uninterrupted service for our customers, and thanks to the efforts of the staff at Herbst, everything went exactly according to plan," says Seigwasser.

One feature that is particularly popular with both the drivers and the management is the hydraulic fork adjustment, which can be operated from the cab. Hendrik Seigwasser: "As every second load is a different size, this saves time and effort and is a great advantage when we have a particularly busy period. Especially in the months from June to September, everything has to be handled very quickly and smoothly so that we can keep up with the many orders."

New capacities planned
With an annual growth rate of around 30 percent at EMS, not only is a new branch to be opened in the Netherlands, but there are also plans to expand the business premises in Langenhagen: A new 5,000 square meter warehouse is to be put into operation in 2020. A third Aisle Master has been ordered from HFH Herbst Gabelstapler und Lagertechnik for this purpose. Its batteries will be charged by the solar panels installed on the roof of the new warehouse. The roof trusses in the existing warehouse largely determined the dimensions of the aisles, but in the new warehouse the racking and aisles can be configured according to the narrow aisle capacities of the Aisle Master to ensure not only flexibility but also efficient use of space. Hendrik Seigwasser sums up: "When I first discovered the Aisle Master, there weren't that many machines on the German market. But that has since changed, not least because of its reliable operation, minimal maintenance and the associated exemplary costs. All in all, it was a good decision and one that I would make again."

About HFH Gabelstapler
In 1981, the company declared itself to be "the specialist for forklift trucks and warehouse technology in south-eastern Lower Saxony" and can be found directly on the A2 in Braunschweig in the Hansestraße/Hafen industrial estate. The object of the company is the trade in forklift trucks and warehouse technology, as well as service and spare parts - regardless of brand for all makes. Rental, driver training and logistical advice round off the portfolio. The main suppliers include "only the world's best in their fields" such as Baumann (sideloaders), Combilift (multidirectional forklifts), Manitou (all-terrain telescopic forklifts and work platforms) and Yale (forklifts, warehouse technology, system technology and order picking).

About Event-Mietservice
event-mietservice claims to be Germany's first rental wholesaler for the event industry. Its customers include event and advertising agencies, caterers, venues, hotels and event organizers. "From conception to logistics and cleaning, we provide you with the complete package for your event," the company advertises. The full service is offered exclusively to resellers and is delivered directly to the event location throughout Europe in neutral vehicles on behalf of the customer.