Working across two sites in Far North Queensland, Branches Nursery found Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) equipment was the perfect fit
The team behind a horticultural business in Far North Queensland says equipment from Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) is enhancing its operational efficiency and helping it prepare for future growth.
Branches Nursery recently took delivery of its third Toyota Huski 4SDK4 Skid Steer Loader and is consulting TMHA on the supply of upgraded forklifts for its two sites in Cairns and Port Douglas.
With an inventory of 50,000 plants across 150 species, Branches sells about 50 per cent of its stock outside the region, largely in Brisbane and on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, but also further north fulfilling government contracts in areas like Thursday Island.
The other fifty per cent is sold locally to landscapers who are working hard to keep up with demand in a region where the population has doubled from 80,000, when Oscar Michel started his business in the 1990s, to more than 170,000.
Cairns Regional Council forecasts a population of more than 240,000 by 2050, a growth that Branches Nursery and TMHA are both keen to service, with the dealer opening a dedicated branch in Cairns last year.
“Previously we’d been relying on remote service from Townsville 350kms away,” Branches’ principal Oscar Michel says.
“Now we not only have access to local service, but we also have a business manager who understands our requirements.”
Important client
TMHA area sales manager Paul Allen says Branches Nursery is a very important client for the company.
“Operating in Far North Queensland comes with a unique set of challenges which are best met by a close understanding of local conditions and requirements.”
Oscar Michel agrees. “We were operating with machinery too large for our efficient use,” he says.
“Now we have right-sized machines to maximise the operation. The Huski skid steer loader is able to properly manoeuvre within our rows and purpose-built implements are easily interchangeable between each machine.”
Row width is particularly important in Branches’ nursery operation.
The Huski 4SDK4 is just 900mm wide, the smallest of Toyota’s six model range. However, it has an operating capacity of 320kg, which is more than sufficient for the nursery’s intricate requirements.
“Easy changing between implements from auger attachments to a range of buckets reduces downtime and maximises the ability to fulfil customer orders on tight turn around,” says Branches’ Cairns manager, Sebastian Abrue.
“We call on the Huskis to do everything from levelling new sites to crushing rock, preparing potting mix on a weekly basis, and most importantly transplanting trees as part of their growth program.
“Reliability and versatility have been a major part of our experience with the Huski,” Abrue adds.
“We’ve rarely had issues and to have service now available in Cairns increases our confidence.”
Reputation for innovation
Branches Nursery has earned a reputation for innovation not only in horticulture but in logistics.
It has worked with a local transport company to efficiently move its plant stock more than 1,600km to southeast Queensland while backloading the same trucks with soil, potting mix, and nutrients essential to future growth.
The efficient movement of plants and materials within Branches’ two sites is an ongoing part of conversation between the company and TMHA.
Michel and his wife Kate started family-owned Branches from a 1.6-hectare greenfield site in Kewarra Beach, now an exclusive suburb of Cairns where they continue to maintain their headquarters.
In 2018, the couple expanded to an additional 15-hectare site at Mowbray outside Port Douglas to take advantage of less expensive land prices and to give their son Nick, 24, a grounding in the business.
Nick manages Port Douglas while specialist Abrue, now 10 years with Branches, runs the operations in Cairns.
“We had intended to consolidate in Mowbray, but COVID-19 demand highlighted how the two sites could work to complement each other,” Michel said.
Equitable allocation of machinery and staff between the two sites, on an as-needed basis, formed a substantial component of the cost-benefit advantages to support the continuation of both sites.
As Branches Nursery continues to grow, the company believes the partnership with TMHA ensures they have the reliable support and equipment needed for sustained success and innovation in the horticultural industry.
To find out more about the TMHA range, call 1800 425 438 or visit toyotamaterialhandling.com.au
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