July 26, 2016 What Waste?

Volume 4 | Issue 5

Lorie Russo explains how, at Galbreath, the amount of waste always correlates to the variety of equipment needed to handle it.

These days, nothing goes to waste at Galbreath, Inc. With a 50-plus year track record of engineering and manufacturing the best in waste-handling equipment, Galbreath has maintained its edge while never letting up on devising new ways to handle an age-old problem.

Recently, there has been much to talk about at the Indiana-based manufacturer. For one, Wastequip Inc., a leading manufacturer of waste-handling equipment based in Beachwood, Ohio, purchased Galbreath last year. “The Galbreath acquisition significantly increases Wastequip’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities,” said George Schneider, Wastequip’s retired president and chief executive officer, when the acquisition was announced in July 2000. Galbreath’s resources and expertise, Schneider added, were seen as a way to further enhance Wastequip’s strategic position in the industry.

Prior to the acquisition, Galbreath had been able to expand its Winamac, Ind., and Ider, Ala., plants to a combined 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space, housing more than 350 employees. “The employees here are what really make things go,” explains Brian Harper, director of marketing. “Having a small-town Midwest base gives our company a stability that many of our competitors do not have. We don’t have employee turnover, which translates into less time retraining and more consistent performances. That is why our quality is recognized worldwide.”

Lifting the Line
Now poised to produce equipment for large or small projects, Galbreath has taken its manufacturing know-how to the next level by broadening both the scope and technology of the products its customers have come to depend upon.

New from Galbreath is The Southern Star, a roll-off hoist with a 10-inch mainframe and interchangeable 7-inch winch and lift cylinders. Launched at Waste Expo in Chicago, the new hoist is an extension of an existing Galbreath hoist line. “Many customers prefer this Southern Star design over a traditional style,” Harper says. “This design is prevalent in certain U.S. regions because some customers like having a 10-inch mainframe to eliminate the need for the subframe, and they like having cylinders that are interchangeable. We’ve basically designed and put this together for them. It’s a departure from the style we normally build for the waste-handling industry.”

The company’s extensive array of products also includes stationary and portable compactors, transfer stations, vertical balers, self-dumping hoppers, open- and closed-top containers, recycling containers, sludge and vacuum containers, and precrushers for the waste-handling and recycling industries. Galbreath also has pushed this year in the marketing of genuine Galbreath replacement parts. “We’ve found that the quality of after-market parts that some companies promote to be used as direct replacements on Galbreath equipment do not meet our standards.” Harper explains, “Galbreath wouldn’t use them because we have higher expectations for our equipment and the parts that we use on it. We hope that we can get across the concept of genuine vs. generic.” Harper adds that the company’s goal is for its after-market parts department to offer at least 50 of Galbreath’s most popular parts — not only at competitive prices, but also for immediate deliveries.

Galbreath has also increased its e-commerce trade and hopes to further its after-market parts business, as well as its full-line products, on the Internet. The company’s Web site address is www.galbreath-inc.com.

Signature Quality
With an ambitious sales forecast for this year, Galbreath has come a long way from its beginnings as a blacksmith shop in 1945. As part of its 56-year tradition, the company’s welders proudly sign their work by welding their initials onto the interior sidewalls of every container. Galbreath has maintained its edge as the No. 1 provider of roll-off hoists to waste companies by consistently designing and manufacturing equipment to meet the demands of the waste-handling market.

Galbreath’s roll-off hoists are designed with the Galbreath-pioneered three-way hydraulic filtering system, which virtually eliminates contamination. Its hoists are spring-loaded with front-container safety locks and replaceable, cast swivel cable ends. No other company offers more models and options; Galbreath’s lightweight design increases the payload up to 2,000 pounds. The company’s hook hoists — offered in single, tandem and multi-axle applications — use the most advance hook-lift technology available, up to a 62-degree dump angle for clean discharge and capacities ranging from 9,000 to 60,000 pounds.

In the area of compactors Galbreath offers a variety of models to meet the needs for compacting waste materials at most commercial and industrial applications. PakForce compactors incorporate advanced electronic circuitry to eliminate the use of pressure switches and limit switches, which minimizes maintenance while controlling compactor operations. This line’s standard features included a 2.09 cubic-yard NSWMA rating, a two-year minimum warranty, a 16 inch-deep ram penetration, maximum packing forces of 63,000 pounds and a 75-second cycle time. Other models include the GP series, known for its durability and reliable operation; and the PM6fS Pack Man, ideal for fast-food restaurants, nursing homes and other smaller-volume locations requiring secure, leak-resistant waste handling.

Galbreath’s self-dumping hoppers are designed for the fork-lift handling of materials, and are used for plant housekeeping, in-process materials handling, sorting and storing operations, and scrap collection. The company’s vertical balers are backed by its tradition of manufacturing excellence, and are supported by Galbreath’s nationwide network of dealers. Galbreath also manufactures a complete line of roll-off containers in all sizes and capacities, engineered to fit most major brands of roll-off hoist systems.

“The compactor market has been an area of good growth, and has even more potential,” says Harper. “Our self-dumping hoppers are one of our core products, and continue to offer us tremendous sales opportunities. They are used to handle scrap and recycling products, and for a lot of other applications. Any manufacturing company can use several of these hoppers. They’ve been great products for us over the years. We sell several thousand of them a year.”

With significant gains in manufacturing capabilities and resources, Galbreath continues to push the bar to deal with the pesky problem of waste handling in the United States. And there is every indication that as long as there is waste to handle, Galbreath will devise the best method there is for moving it.

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