Energetic help from Linde

Even more than two months after the devastating floods along the rivers Ahr, Kyll or Erft, many places in western Germany still present a picture of destruction. Linde Material Handling (MH) and network partner Linde Material Handling Rhein-Ruhr had already made various forklift trucks available to the German Red Cross (DRK) for an indefinite period of time in August – and these are still in use to supply the affected people and help with reconstruction.

“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,” says Stefan Prokosch, SVP Brand Management at Linde MH. To this end, the company unbureaucratically handed over numerous vehicles to the German Red Cross for an indefinite period. Since then, they have been moving loads weighing several tonnes at various locations. They help to ensure supplies for the population and relief workers, and support the clean-up work and reconstruction in the affected areas. The parent company, the KION Group, had already donated €1 million in emergency aid to the German Red Cross in July.

Forklifts as flood helpers

Linde Material Handling and its network partner have since delivered a good dozen industrial trucks to the various DRK bases. Most of the equipment – forklifts and warehouse trucks with a load capacity of up to two tonnes – is used in the collection centres for relief supplies in Euskirchen and Alsdorf. They help unload the trucks and transport the material in the warehouse. “There was great jubilation every time the vehicles were delivered,” reports Mirco Trautewig, responsible for marketing at Linde MH Rhein-Ruhr. “Before, there were often only manual pallet trucks available, which meant a lot of effort for the helpers.”

A larger diesel forklift with a load capacity of five tonnes 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 German Red Cross supplies a total of twelve field kitchens in which up to 29,000 meals are prepared per day and then distributed to those in need and helpers via 42 distribution points. Even more power is used by a diesel forklift with an eight-tonne load capacity at the DRK’s collection and transhipment point in Koblenz. The Red Cross workers use the vehicle to unload power generators, drying equipment and other heavy equipment that rolls in from all over Germany by truck and is distributed from there to the flood regions. A team of employees from the Central Service, Truck Finish and Sales Germany departments in Aschaffenburg worked together to ensure that the two trucks were able to make their way to the flooded area so quickly. “Everyone pulled together and was enthusiastic about the job,” says Klaus Reichert, sales representative and responsible for the Linde truck pool.

The operation in the flood area at a medium-sized company that had stored hazardous materials and whose warehouse and production facilities had been completely destroyed by the incoming water masses proved to be particularly tricky. “Shortly after the emergency call from our sales organisation reached us, we were able to get a suitable explosion protection device on its way to the site, which has been helping with the clean-up work ever since,” reports Marcel Fackert, Managing Director Linde Protected Solutions.

For more information, please visit: https://www.linde-mh.de/de/Ueber-uns/Presse/