BUSINESS NEWS
The Fuller Industries Inc. plant west of Great Bend covers over 600,000 square feet, that’s over 13 acres under one roof. Yet, company operations occupy just about every nook and cranny of the massive building.
A walk from the front of the structure to the back can be measured in fractions of a mile.
Sure, Fuller personnel do a lot of walking, but they are also deploying a different mode of transportation – large tricycles. They pedal their way across the factory, using the baskets attached to the back of the trikes to haul small loads or carry tools for a job.
“When one thinks of a company’s rolling stock, vans and semi-trucks most often come to mind,” said Fuller Industries Inc.’s Vice President and General Manager Joe Mann. “But, in many ways, these little vehicles are just as important.”
Fuller has a fleet of several tricycles. Some of these have been around for a very long time, held together by welds and bolts, and some are gleaming and new.
Along with the forklifts that rumble and honk, the trikes zip the down the wide aisles.
“I’m sure we’re not the only company using tricycles for internal transport, but it is a great way to get around,” said Mann, who himself frequently hops on to one of them to make his rounds. He often stops for impromptu meetings along the way, conducting them from the saddle.
The machines have been in service for several years, replacing electric carts that had been used. While these can’t carry the same payload, staff members say they don’t have to be charged and they do offer a chance to get some exercise.