Case Study: AP Exhaust Products achieves 35–45% maintenance cost savings and increased productivity with The Raymond Corporation

AP Exhaust Optimizes Lift Truck Fleet with VNA Solutions

AP Exhaust, a long-standing manufacturer that ships up to 31,000 parts per day, faced rising maintenance costs and the need to make its material-handling fleet more efficient as the business grew. Working with The Raymond Corporation (through authorized service partner Carolina Handling), AP Exhaust moved away from refurbished units and assessed replacement options, ultimately selecting Raymond electric lift trucks — including Model 8400 pallet trucks, Model 4200 stand-up counterbalanced trucks, Model 7400 Reach‑Fork® and Model 9600 Swing‑Reach® — plus a maintenance package and power/charging program.

The Raymond Corporation’s solution — new electric Raymond trucks, a fixed-cost maintenance management program implemented by Carolina Handling, and a third-party battery power plan — reduced fleet size by 15% in the distribution center and 28% on the plant floor, cut maintenance costs by 35–45%, lowered energy expenses by shifting charging to off‑peak times, and increased throughput with less downtime so operators can move more parts in the same timeframe. The upgrades delivered measurable cost savings, greater productivity, and higher operator satisfaction.

AP Exhaust

Ruth Long

Vice President