Spinach and peas to grow strong and healthy.

70,000 working hours between two, a hard record to beat - this has marked the success of Merlo machines in the vegetable handling sector.

The agricultural fields around the Belgian town of Ardoie in the Flanders produce over 30% of the vegetables marketed in Western Europe. A huge market for over 2.5 million tonnes of products a year. Ardoie alone is home to nine companies and twelve plants.
Ardo is one of the main companies and produces over 380,000 tonnes spinach and peas every year. Founded in the Fifties, it has been experiencing continuous growth and today owns further plants in eight European countries. In the early Nineties, in order to speed up vegetable handling operations, two Panoramic P 30.7 XS telescopic handlers were bought and used immediately on three daily shifts. They have been used so intensively that they have reached 36,000 and 34,000 total working hours respectively.
Over the years though, many of the activities carried out by the telescopic handlers have been automated, and work had to be reorganised accordingly. This is why Ardo has decided to replace the original machines with two new Turbofarmer P 34.7 Plus, more suited to the changed operating needs.
The comparison between new and old machines is fascinating, as it shows how a common guideline has always been followed through the years: technological innovation.
This is why Merlo machines have become more competitive, safe, profitable and - why not - even more attractive.
The two P 30.7 XS are still far from retirement: they have been sold and will still be used by the new owner for many years to come.