Dino bulk truck loaders have been around since the 1980s. Until a few years ago, they could only be found in a radius of 500 kilometres around Drunen, where Van Beek Schroeftransport is based. Van Beek is working with foreign agents to expand the sales territories for Dino. After Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Czech Republic and China, we have also been collaborating with a partner in Italy since mid-March 2023.
Adrián Medina, sales business development manager at Milan-based Omega Alfa Soluzioni Integrate (OASI), is responsible for expanding the Dino sales market in Italy. With over 25 years of experience in intralogistics, automatic warehousing, baggage handling, market knowledge and active marketing, Medina plays an essential and indispensable role in the Italian market. His role at OASI means that Medina provides customers with complete, innovative logistics solutions in automated warehousing, including transport. OASI also combines proprietary logistics and patented solutions in addition to commercialising suitable products from cooperation partners, such as the Dino. Medina: “The collaboration with Van Beek is still in an early stage. We have recently initiated a market survey, and are now laying the foundations to enable us to move forward with a more focused strategy. Of course, we are the point of contact for those Dinos already operational in Italy, but we will be expanding its brand awareness.”
Meticulous selection process
According to Roel Kneepkens, sales engineer at Van Beek, the industry now knows exactly where to find the world’s market leader in bulk truck loaders. Collaboration with international agents also boosts sales of Dino bulk truck loaders. “By choosing a local partner, we don’t need to worry about language or cultural barriers. Speaking the same language, both literally and figuratively, creates a natural fit, mutual trust and is essential for doing business successfully”, Kneepkens professes. According to Kneepkens, the ideal partner should meet a number of characteristics. For instance, a small office with not too many agencies is preferable, and in-depth knowledge and skills in warehousing, transport and bulk handling are a must. After a considerable search and an intensive selection process, Kneepkens was introduced to Adrián Medina: “His background, expertise, work ethic and mentality completely coincide with our Dutch outlook. Product-specific knowledge about big bag handling, silo vehicles, knowledge of bulk goods and bulking of powders, granules and pellets are things we can teach him. OASI is our Italian partner dealing with applications to sales and startup.”
A more accessible way of bulking
After several, exploratory online talks, Medina visited the Drunen site and saw first-hand how the bulk truck loaders are assembled on a specialised machine line: “The big advantage of the Dino over other loading solutions is the fact that all elements are manufactured in-house, which guarantees quality. Other manufacturers assemble their machines from bought-in parts, which increases the risk of breakdowns.” Together with Kneepens, he was also given a tour of the southern Netherlands, where he was able to see the Dino in operation in a number of different working environments. Both men are convinced that the Italian market will provide plenty of opportunities for increasing the sales of the Dino bulk truck loader. Kneepkens: The big advantage of the Dino is the more accessible way bulk can now be handled. There is no longer the need for entrepreneurs to build expensive silos, which dictate that a bulk truck be positioned below the silo for loading. If there is a forklift able to lift big bags, then the need for an additional employee to manually unload the bag is eliminated. The Dino does the loading entirely mechanically. It also does not require a large rig or hoist to operate the bulking. The Dino is a gentle machine, compact and mobile.”
Made in Holland
The Dino is an A-brand. By retaining production in the Netherlands, Van Beek can continue to guarantee high quality. The same applies to customisation, where material choice and loading speed play a significant role. Dinos are made of steel, stainless steel304 or stainless steel316. The processing speed of the bulk truck loader is 40 or 80 m3/hour, with a 40 m3/hour version capable of filling a bulk truck within an hour. Depending on the product being bulked, motors and possibly other options are modified. A Dino used for bulking plastic granules requires accessories that differ from, for example, a Dino used for flour. “The beauty of the Dino is that it is a plug and play machine. As soon as it is unloaded from the truck, the legs are unfolded, it can be plugged in, the Dino tilted upwards, and it begins work immediately. Customers can take out an annual maintenance contract if they wish, but once installed you won’t have to worry about it”, Kneepkens explains.
A direct and dynamic approach
The mutual expectations of the partnership are high and, similarly, Medina appreciates the Dutch direct and dynamic approach. His background and network, combined with Roel’s specialist knowledge, cannot fail to bear fruit. Medina: “I see opportunities for the Dino within various sectors in Italy. For example, a lot of raw materials arrive at our ports in bulk. These include cocoa, coffee beans and salt. During our joint visit to the Rotterdam port, the added value of the mobile Dino became clear immediately. In addition, plastics are produced and processed in Italy, so the bulking of plastic granulates and flakes is perfectly possible with a Dino bulk truck loader.”
