Linde's forklift as a flood helper

"We were also shocked by the extent of the damage and wanted to help with what we and our network partners do best: high-performance goods handling," explains Stefan Prokosch, SVP Brand Management at Linde MH. To this end, the company unbureaucratically provided the DRK with numerous vehicles for an indefinite period of time. Since then, they have been moving loads weighing several tons at various locations. They are helping to ensure supplies for the population and aid workers and are supporting the clean-up and reconstruction work in the affected areas. Back in July, the parent company, the KION Group, donated one million euros in emergency aid to the German Red Cross.

Linde Material Handling and the network partner have now delivered a good dozen industrial trucks to the various DRK bases. The majority of the trucks - forklifts and warehouse trucks with a load capacity of up to two tons - are used in the relief supplies warehouses in Euskirchen and Alsdorf. They help to unload the trucks and transport materials around the warehouse. "There was great jubilation every time the vehicles were delivered," reports Mirco Trautewig, responsible for marketing at Linde MH Rhein-Ruhr. "Previously, there were often only manual hand pallet trucks available, which meant a lot of effort for the helpers."

A larger diesel forklift with a load capacity of five tons is needed in the municipality of Grafschaft in the district of Ahrweiler at the food distribution point set up there. From the central location, the DRK supplies a total of twelve field kitchens, in which up to 29,000 meals a day are prepared and then distributed to those in need and helpers via 42 distribution points. A diesel forklift truck with a load capacity of eight tons provides even more power at the DRK's collection and transshipment point in Koblenz. The Red Cross helpers are using the vehicle to unload power generators, drying equipment and other heavy equipment that is being trucked in from all over Germany and distributed from there to the flood regions. A team of employees from the Central Service, Truck Finish and Sales Germany departments in Aschaffenburg worked hard to ensure that the two trucks were able to make their way to the flood area so quickly. "Everyone pulled together and was enthusiastic about the project," says Klaus Reichert, sales employee and responsible for the Linde forklift pool.

The deployment in the flood area at a medium-sized company that had stored hazardous substances and whose warehouse and production facilities had been completely destroyed by the floodwaters proved to be particularly tricky. "Shortly after we received the emergency call from our sales organization, we were able to send a suitable explosion protection device to the site, which has been helping with the clean-up work ever since," reports Marcel Fackert, Managing Director Linde Protected Solutions.