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INSIGHT - Toyota Forklifts Hit the Sweet Spot

By Cameron Paxton, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Material Handling Australia

Long-standing Australian confectionary company Robern Menz has commemorated its recent success by decking out one of its Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) forklifts with a Violet Crumble-themed paint job.

Our Toyota forklifts are famous for their strong orange colour, and it’s great to see Robern Menz produce one in the shade of purple that Violet Crumble’s are equally famous for.

Robern Menz has Australian roots that date all the way back to 1850, and has experienced exciting growth since purchasing the Violet Crumble brand in 2018.

To help satisfy the seemingly insatiable demand for its sweet treats, Robern Menz uses a fleet of Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) equipment that has ensured its round-the-clock operation runs smoothly and efficiently.

14 different TMHA machines are used at the Robern Menz factory, with Warehouse Manager Shaun Dwyer noting that the impeccable reliability of the equipment was a key factor in the company’s operations.

Their units are utilised 24 hours a day, so reliability is massive for Mr Dwyer and his team. The ease of use, the servicing, and our own TMHA people have been a huge plus for the Robern Menz business, according to Mr Dwyer.

In particular, the addition of two Toyota VRE150 Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) turret trucks have allowed Robern Menz to free up an additional 500 pallet spaces in their warehouse, helping facilitate a scale-up in their operations.

Robern Menz has developed a strong relationship with TMHA area sales manager Derek Baxter, who knows the reliability of the machines and range of solutions able to be offered set TMHA apart from our competitors.

Customers such as Robern Menz want machines that are safe and reliable. Businesses want to be aligned with a company that if there is an issue, they tend to their needs as quickly as possible, which is always a priority at TMHA.

If there’s anything customers require, through our extensive product solution we can fill just about any gap they require in their operation.

The TMHA equipment has helped Robern Menz ship a 40-foot container of product around the world every fortnight to export markets such as the United States and Philippines – a process that would not be possible without the overall reliability and extra space freed up by the VNA trucks.

Along with the purchase of Violet Crumble, Robern Menz has also acquired the beloved Polly Waffle name, however the international popularity of Violet Crumble means the factory is currently too busy to begin producing the wafer and marshmallow chocolate bar.

When the time eventually comes to further scale up operations, Mr Dwyer said TMHA would be the first port of call to source new warehouse equipment.

Mr Dwyer mentioned that in his career, the entire ownership package provided by TMHA – aftersales service, servicing, reliability and providing flexible solutions – meant it would be an easy choice.

Robern Menz has previously used other brands for its operations, and Toyota have proven to be “head and shoulders” above everybody else.

According to Mr Dwyer, no matter what’s happened, Toyota has always had their back, and that’s a huge positive for their side of things.


For more information free call 1800 425 438 or contact us, here.

THMA equipment supplied by Derek Baxter (right) has helped Robern Menz ramp up its global Violet Crumble production, according to Warehouse Manager Shaun Dwyer (left).

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