We’ve been traveling for the past two weeks to trade shows and continue to see how wrong the notion is that there’s nothing new in GSE.
Last week, we traveled to Atlanta and saw how one company is using synthetic material used in bullet-proof vests to make lighter cargo containers. And we visited with another company using a water-proof barrier that’s underneath the siding of most every new home built in the past few decades to insulate those same containers.
On the last leg of our show tour, we met a company making modern-day blimps capable of carrying cargo to the most remote locations. (By the way, if you ever want to travel to Stuttgart and buy a Porsche right off the assembly line, we know the guys that can ship it back. Plus, if you find yourself in Conakry, we know the people that can organize the ground handling.)
Two weeks ago, we traveled to Las Vegas and talked with a couple of new tire companies that had either not been in the GSE market before or hadn’t brought their products to North America. We saw one electric GSE manufacturer present a new gas-powered tractor. And we saw another fossil-fueled GSE manufacturer present a new electric tractor. We sat in on a discussion that demonstrated how even PCA ducting and adapters can be “new and improved.”
We also heard how on that very same day – give or take the International Date Line – Harlan was getting plenty of attention at its booth at the inter airport China exhibition, highlighting what we might consider an “old” product to a new audience.
From Wisconsin, we tracked down Richard Stern, Harlan’s regional sales manager for the Asia Pacific market, who shared with us the show photos we included with this blog.
“The Chinese government is quite concerned with the air quality at airports and will be encouraging the use of electric equipment wherever possible,” Stern emailed. “We’re currently working with several customers in China as well as Hong Kong and Singapore. The ‘demo tractor’ supplied for the show will be used by several potential customers and we expect orders in the very near future.”
