A massive Darling Downs meat producing operation has commissioned 18 new pieces of Toyota Material Handling's forklift range.
JBS Australia Pty Limited's Beef City operation 40km west of Toowoomba includes a feedlot, meat processing facilities for 260,000 head per year and a farm.
Established in 1976, Beef City feedlot is one of four JBS feedlots in Australia and one of the largest in the country.
Beef City has a staff of 950 on site with the abattoir, feedlot and JBS Carriers - a trucking division established to transport cattle, containers and hides. At any one time more than 26,000 cattle may be in the feedlot.
JBS, its predecessors and AMH have used Toyota forklifts for nearly two decades.
The new complement of forklifts are all on long-term hire from Toyota Material Handling Australia's (TMHA's) Brisbane branch. They include three Toyota internal combustion, one Toyota electric three-wheel forklifts, two Toyota electric reach trucks, two Raymond reach trucks, three BT hand-pallet jacks and six Raymond pallet trucks (both walkie and ride-on).
Nationally, TMHA has more than 200 forklifts in service with JBS Australia, with 18 forklifts being the largest fleet in a rural location.
Beef City general manager Justin McCormick said the company chose Toyota as the best brand available to suit its business needs.
"They are the best forklifts on the market and the service from Toyota's Brisbane office has been first class," he said.
"The relationship with Toyota has grown with support from TMHA Queensland major accounts manager Martin Gross and the Brisbane office being on hand 24/7 when required.
Beef City uses its internal combustion Toyota forklifts for the main yard, rendering section and maintenance lifts.
Four of the battery electric machines are used for cold-room operations and set up to service-racking profiles.
TMHA's Brisbane branch this year opened new, larger and purpose-built premises close to the Logan Motorway at Larapinta.
It offers the full product range of Toyota forklifts, skid-steer loaders and towing tractors, BT Lift Trucks and Raymond forklifts - providing a one-stop shop for material-handling needs.
Beef City Feedlot is located 40 kilometres west of Toowoomba in the heart of the rich grain growing region of the Darling Downs. It has four steam flaking mills and a modern fleet of paddle mixer trucks to feed the cattle locally produced wheat, barley and sorghum grain and with quality roughages.
The adjacent grain-fed processing plant processes 260,000 head of cattle each year.
The 800 hectare site also includes a farming operation that produces crops such as corn, winter cereals and forage sorghum for either daily supply to the feedlot or as silage or hay.
JBS Australia is a division of JBS, Brazil's largest multinational in the food sector, and the world's largest meat company.
JBS Australia has an extensive presence along the eastern seaboard, with operations including 11 meat processing plants and four feedlots.
It has a number of brands that have strong domestic and global recognition, including Beef City Platinum, King Island Beef, Royal, Beef City Black, Your Choice, Tasman Meats and Tasmanian Premium Beef.
JBS Beef City and their new Toyota forklift fleet