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Dolly designed to make RPCs easier to handle
By Todd Foltz
Handling and Distributing Editor

NORTHBORO, MA-A method of moving products through an office with returnable plastic containers and an integrated dolly may soon come to a U.S. grocery retailer near you.

Chicago-based Rentacrate, Inc, a supplier of plastic rental crates for the office relocation business, has selected IPL Products Ltd., to produce an integrated crate-dolly system that allows returnable crates to be stacked securely on a dolly.

European retailers use similar systems to move RPCs full of produce from the back of the store to the display, area, said Eric Fredrickson, director of sales and marketing for the materials handling division of IPL.

“I think a variation of the dolly would work quite well for produce,“ Fredrickson said. “What we could see here is a double dolly version of this that would hold two RPCs side by side. In Europe, it’s common to see retailers used dollies and double dollies to get produce from the back of the store to display.”

IPL has not marketed its crate dolly to the produce industry domestically yet, but Fredrickson said he hoped to see what interest is there.

The company has two crate dollies, one that Rentacrate has exclusive rights to distribute in the U.S. office industry and another called the Flap Nest Dolly that holds IPL’s FlapNest 2416 crates. The latter is for general purpose materials handling.

The IPL dolly is replacing large, wooden dollies in the office industry. Lighter weight and easier to maneuver, the dollies are waterproof and built to hold crates of specific footprints.

The dolly has plastic edges that are designed to provide enough strength for stacking of crates but to be softer than wood therefore less damaging to products. This would be a distinct advantage when moving pressure sensitive product such as fresh fruits and vegetables, Fredrickson, said.

IPL Products is a subsidiary of the St. Damien, Quebec-based IPL Inc., a plastics company. It makes RPCs for a variety of industries. Last year, it partnered with Georgia-Pacific Corp. IPL developed and supplied the traditional corrugated company with a line of produce RPCs as Georgia Pacific expanded its focus beyond corrugated to produce packaging in general.

The two companies introduced Georgia Pacific’s new services and IPL’s new containers at October’s Produce Marketing Association convention in Anaheim, CA. They will exhibit March 17-19 at the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association convention in Tampa, Fl as well. For more information visit www.plastics.com or call (800)818-1318.