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Safety and efficiency are critical factors to consider when handling industrial cable spools and reels. Both factors depend largely on the right equipment. For electricians, utility suppliers, and distribution warehouses managing cut-to-length orders, that means choosing between reel jack stands and cable reel rollers — or some combination of both. Each of these products serves the same basic function: They keep cable reels in place, allowing workers to pull lengths of wire during installations or to fill orders that match customers’ specifications. Reel jack stands accomplish this task with two freestanding jacks, which must be properly placed and perfectly balanced. Users insert a spindle into the center of the reel, position the jack stands, and raise them to an equal… Continue Reading

Every facility that utilizes electric forklifts needs to carefully consider the costs associated with forklift battery pullers. For operations with one or two lift trucks, that’s not an especially difficult process; simple manual battery pullers can handle changeouts somewhat efficiently and keep workers on the floor. As an operation grows, however, the costs associated with forklift battery changes starts to add up. Powered forklift battery pullers can have a significant effect on a facility’s bottom line, but managers need to look carefully at their operations in order to justify the investment in new equipment — and to choose appropriate battery pullers for the task at hand. If you’re considering an upgrade from a manual forklift battery puller to a powered… Continue Reading

Feb. 3, 2020 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment, now offers the Will Call Dropbox, a heavy-duty parcel locker with full IIoT functionality. Increasingly familiar with online consumers, parcel lockers provide secure, centralized access to packages 24 hours a day. With the Will Call Dropbox, the same option arrives for B2B applications. “A typical pick-up locker from, say, Amazon or UPS, isn’t designed for the weight and size of construction materials or industrial tools,” said Melissa Bowen of the BHS marketing department. “Our Will Call Dropbox fills the gap for B2B distributors.” Electrical wholesalers, material distributors, and supply chain professionals can use Will Call Dropboxes to simplify fulfillment and recieving, Bowen said…. Continue Reading

Jan. 7, 2020 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment for a variety of industries, is growing in more ways than one. The company recently expanded one of the four buildings on its campus by 10,000 square feet, bringing the company’s manufacturing footprint to nearly 150,000 square feet. “We’re always working on new material handling solutions, but the pace of innovation is really accelerating,” said Melissa Bowen of the BHS marketing team. “As we build more cloud integrations into our products, our material needs are growing, and our inventory is growing; it was time for our infrastructure to grow, too.” The expansion takes place in BHS’ “Lotsie” building, named for the boulevard in… Continue Reading

BHS, Inc., a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment, now offers a Trench Lid Lifter (TLL-300) designed to access trenches with covers featuring pick holes or grates. Utility trench access has long been associated with risk of injury; lifting concrete and metal lids can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, while a dropped lid can break fingers, toes, and worse. The BHS TLL-300 significantly reduces these risks while making access easier and more efficient. Ergonomic features include comfortable grips, an adjustable handle, and low-force lifting capability. “A lot of the lid lifters you see on the market grasp lids at the lip, requiring clearance at the edge,” said Melissa Bowen of BHS marketing. “Or, worse, they’re just hooks that place all the… Continue Reading

BHS, Inc. a leading provider of electrical material handling equipment, now offers a portable, turnkey solution for large-scale cable pulls at construction sites and other high-volume electrical installations. The Parallel Reel Payout Trailer (PRP-TRL) mounts two or three swiveling, high-capacity Parallel Reel Payouts on a 14- to 24-foot trailer, ready for hauling and instant payout. “Material handling takes time away from actual installation,” said Melissa Bowen of BHS marketing. “With the PRP-TRL, we’re cutting down on unnecessary labor to make every cable installation much more efficient.” The PRP-TRL is available in any of three models: The PRP-TRL-14 includes two swiveling Parallel Reel Payouts (PRP) on a 14-foot trailer; The PRP-TRL-22 expands to three PRPs and a 22-foot trailer; and the… Continue Reading

The 2019 peak retail season may begin earlier than usual — and that’s important news for retailers, logistics operators, and shippers across the United States. Two unusual market conditions are colliding to create this unique situation: retailers’ perceptions of overly high inventories (leading to less replenishment) and consumer reaction to news of increasing tariffs. If consumers rush to beat price increases, they could end up depleting inventories much faster than usual, and at an earlier date. That, in turn, could lead to low inventories right during the heart of the typical peak shopping season. Admittedly, this is a guess — but business owners in the consumer goods supply chain will be better off preparing for an earlier peak than being… Continue Reading

July 14, 2019 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment, battery room solutions, and electrical equipment, has joined the app revolution. The St. Louis-based company’s new mobile app, BHS Optima, launches Jul. 14, and will be available for download from the Apple App Store, the Android Google Play Store, and the BHS website, [https://eu.bhs1global.com/media-library/bhs-optima/]. “BHS Optima is really a one-stop shop for everything BHS,” said Melissa Bowen of BHS Marketing. “Dealers can find all the sales tools they’ll ever need in one place, while end-users can use the app to stay in contact with BHS Technical Support 24/7.” The app features an easy-to-use interface that guides users to resources for sales, service, and… Continue Reading

July 9, 2019 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading provider of material handling equipment for the electrical industry, is offering a new, low-cost solution for storing, filling, and paying out cable reels. The Dyna Reel Platform (DRP) stores bulk cable reels on a bed of steel rollers, allowing users to smoothly pull product without moving reels. Users who need more mobility can choose the Dyna Reel Platform Attachment (DRPA), a similar product that fits onto lift truck forks or pallet jacks. Both options provide new opportunities for compact storage and quick, ergonomic access in industries that depend on cable reels, including suppliers, construction electricians, and telecommunications providers. “Our customers were looking for a way to store fully… Continue Reading

Over the past 40 years, BHS, Inc. has grown from a regional Midwestern producer of industrial/traction battery stands to a global material-handling powerhouse. As the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, here’s a look back on how that growth occurred — and how BHS leadership plans to keep it going. The Origins of BHS, Inc. in the Industrial Battery Industry Marty Huber got his start as a dealer with an inventory of industrial batteries and a single employee. His desk was an unmounted door straddling two 55-gallon drums. “It was makeshift,” Marty said. Huber faced challenges in those early days. Interest rates hovered north of 20 percent, for one thing. And Huber was young for the industry, still in his early… Continue Reading