US Congressman John Katko Holds Roundtable at Morse
29 Nov. 2021
US Congressman John Katko held a roundtable at Morse to discuss long term solutions to supply chain issues far beyond the holidays with local manufacturers and business leaders.
Grand Opening of Newly Renovated Factory triple the size of our old facility
17 July 2019
Celebrations included a Ribbon Cutting and Factory Tours. We welcomed government officials, partners in the major renovations, media, local businesses and friends.
We're getting excited about the big move. New equipment is being installed for product improvements and increased capacity.
Morse is On The Move - Building Renovations are Underway
Dec. 2018
In 2019 we will be moving into our building, tripling our square footage and increasing our production capacity. Many improvements will be added, such as a powdercoat paint system, laser cutters for steel, etc.
Video shows aerial View of work in process
Morse Receives MVS Award 4th Year Running
Oct. 2018
MHEDA again awarded their prestigious MVS (Most Valuable Supplier) Award to Morse for 2019. It is extended only to suppliers who
demonstrate commitment to customer service, quality safety-conscious products, industry advocacy, continuing
education and business networking.
Drum Handlers designed for safety and built to last years and years!
The Morse Hydra-Lift Karrier at the abbey has a custom stainless steel holder for their 100 quart mixing bowl. It provides controlled pouring of fruitcake batter.
A National Geographic article discussed how, "These Monks Saved Their Abbey by Protecting the Earth,"
through sustainable practices in their lives... and on their land.
The monks were great practitioners of prayer and chants. However, they had concerns about most other aspects of life within the cloistered order.
Now they even welcome outside people for weekend retreats to experience life as a monk.
March 2018
Morse Drum Handler Going Strong After 20 Years
The monks at Holy Cross Abbey use this drum carrier to pour cake batter at their bakery in the pastoral Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Watch at 26:04 into this PBS Video
as a Morse drum handler made in 1998 is still going strong after 20 years.
Still Using Outdated Drum Lifters?
Jan. 2018
Old pulley and rope barrel lifters at historic Fort Niagara, the gateway to the West from Lake Ontario.
Established in the 17th century, the fort was key in controlling access from through the Niagara River to the rest of the Great Lakes.
In 1825 the completion of the Erie Canal bypassed this route, and the strategic importance of Fort Niagara declined.
We are always glad to gather with people from all over who are invested to produce and promote the best Material Handling products available.
The value the face-to-face connections with professionals from far and wide is inestimable. Building key partnerships through MHEDA is a great support to our business.
We highly recommend MHEDA Membership to any manufacturer or distributor of material handling goods in North America.
MHEDA Conventions are great opportunities to engage with partners
...and they ALWAYS have Phenomenal Speakers!
Photographer, Platon, related anecdotes of how he works with famous and prominent people to shoot his signature low-perspective images that simply capture their essence.
He demonstrated with powerful visuals, that when we genuinely relate to and collaborate with other people, we get better results and allow them to express their true character.
The "Un-Marketing" guru, Scott Stone, presents the constantly moving target of social media as interaction with people in real time... NOT as selling.
He emphasizes that each and every one of us ARE the brand.
Scott repeatedly had us laughing out loud, as he entertained with social media successes and blunders.
One example was the response of Taco Bell when someone Tweeted, "This morning I gave birth to a food baby and I think #tacobell is the father."
Rather than take offense, they simply acknowledged the humor with, "I want a DNA test".
Morse Receives Family Business Award
Dec. 2016
On Dec. 1st Nate Andrews, President of Morse Mfg., was presented with an award for International Development from Central New
York Business Journal. He made a point of recognizing the invaluable contributions of Morse employees as our "greatest asset"...
Question: What does it mean to your company to win this honor?
Morse Manufacturing and our employees are honored to win this award. Until recently, we have not proactively looked to expand our international business.
We offer a unique product and support services that meet the needs of companies around the world.
Recently, we launched an international version of our website, and took our first foreign trip this past year developing new distributors throughout Mexico.
Question: What has been the key to your success as a CNY (Central New York) business?
As a third-generation family business, Morse Manufacturing has been able to stick to its conservative core values.
Morse employees are far and away it's greatest asset - providing unparalleled product quality and selection, all while manufacturing everything right here in East Syracuse.
Morse dealers from around the world have supplied customers with unrivaled on-site drum-handling product support and safety training.
Morse Meets with Many Dealers at PROMAT 2015 in Chicago
April 2015
PROMAT 2015 was the busiest trade show we have ever experienced! We were stretched to engage with all the people visiting our booth...
IBM Lexmark needed large drums and drum handling equipment to mix the toner chemicals that go into its printer ink cartridges.
The company is very safety conscious and was looking for the most efficient and safest solution possible for their mixing needs...
Ergonomic Drum Handlers Featured at Trade Show in Bogota, Colombia
Oct. 2014
Images by Morse Dealer, Alfonso Uribe, of USM Colombia S.A.
Morse Ergonomic Drum Handlers Featured at Trade Show in Bogota, Colombia
"A very successful trade show with many people interested in ergonomic drum handling solutions... We had enough catalogs on hand...
but only 3 left at the end of the show!!!," said Uribe.
They are now anxious to follow-up with hundreds of people they spoke with.
Nathan Andrews:
Know yourself, understand what makes you happy, hold to your moral compass
Sept. 2014
Morse Manufacturing Co., Inc. president, Nate Andrews' interview with Syracuse media focuses on leadership.
"You have to know where your moral compass lies... so you can stand hard on whatever principles you need to, because at some point you're going to have to...
Senator Schumer: Jobs Available, but CNY Needs Training
Sept. 2014
EAST SYRACUSE -- There is a large need going unfilled in Central New York. An estimated 2,800 manufacturing jobs will be coming to the area,
but these jobs require skills that include mechanics, engineering and electronics.
Byrne Dairy is one of several Central New York companies that need employees to operate high-tech equipment in its milk processing plant.
"The jobs that are going unfilled because the people lack the skills, and the people who need the jobs," says Senator Chuck Schumer.
Besides Byrne Dairy, there are lots of other companies who need highly skilled workers, like Morse Manufacturing in Syracuse, which manufactures handling equipment for drums.
"It is challenging to find people with some manufacturing skills, machining work specifically," Nathan Andrews says.
To teach these skills, Onondaga Community College, along with other SUNY schools, are applying for a $15 million grant to install hands-on equipment,
and teach the needed skills, as soon as possible.
"The training could run anywhere from six months to two years because we're looking not only at the two year degree but also what people
need to get trained in a shorter period of time, as long as they meet the employers' specifications," says OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill.
They should know whether they get the training grant in the next couple weeks.
At its annual meeting, CenterState CEO announced Morse Manufacturing as its "Business of the Year" award recipient for companies of less than 50 employees.
Morse president, Nate Andrews, points out that less than 2% of Morse sales volume is within New York State.
Artist arrested for building "Barrel Monster" ...but Made His Point
Hopefully, the "Barrel Monster" got people to slow down through the construction zone. A student was "arrested for stealing and damaging the traffic barrels."
But, "the construction company requested that the charges be dropped and even suggested that another barrel monster in the construction zone could help deter traffic there."
We often ignore danger because we're used to it, or that's "just how we do things" around here.
Improper barrel handling practices lead to many workers being injured every year. Having all staff follow proper barrel handling procedures could prevent many of these injuries,
while using safety conscious drum handling equipment will also help minimize the risks.
The oil is the most important component of any hydraulic system. Not only is hydraulic oil a lubricant,
it's also the means by which power is transferred. This dual role makes viscosity an oil's most important property.
It affects both machine performance and service life.
...The viscosity of the oil largely determines a hydraulic system's safe maximum and minimum oil temperatures.
This is sometimes referred to as the temperature operating window (TOW).
If you use oil with a viscosity that's too high for the climate the machine has to operate in,
the oil won't flow properly or lubricate adequately during cold start.
If you use oil with a viscosity that's too low for the prevailing climate,
it won't maintain the required minimum viscosity, and therefore adequate lubrication, on the hottest days.
That's not the end of it. Within the allowable extremes of viscosity required for adequate lubrication,
there's a narrower viscosity band where power losses are minimized.
If the oil's operating viscosity is higher than ideal, more power is lost to fluid friction.
If operating viscosity is lower than ideal, more power is lost to mechanical friction and internal leakage.
So using oil of the wrong viscosity not only results in lubrication damage and premature failure of major components,
it also increases power consumption (diesel or electric) two things you don't want.
You won't always get viscosity right by blindly following the machine manufacturer's oil recommendation.
The only way to be certain is to check that your machine's actual temperature operating window lies within the allowable TOW,
and, ideally, within the optimum TOW for the oil you're using.
How Do I Handle ALL These Drums?
March 2013 A Customer Sent us this picture, and asked, "How Do I Handle All These Drums?"
He explained, "I need better control over the pouring operation. I already own a Battery Powered Drum Carrier Pouring Forklift Attachment,
but it does not give me the control I need." He is happy with his 4-Wheel Drum Truck, so further explained, "I like the rim chine hook like
you have on your Model 160-SS," and he wants a chine hook, "mounted on the Forklift Attachment... so the drums would not slip off the
Forklift Drum Tipper when pouring the contents of the drums."
So, adding a Bracket Assembly to the MORCINCHTM Drum Holder will prevent the drum from slipping.
But Here's the KICKER... because he's running a food processing plant, he wants this drum handler made of stainless steel...
No problem, we can make that for you.
This customer already has a forklift dedicated to the drum pouring application, and wants a, "Hydraulic Powered Tipping (Pouring)
Mechanism hose connection to attach the Drum Karrier to my forklift for the pouring operation."
Therefore, we proposed a custom stainless steel version of the drum pouring attachment from the new
Morse PILOT Self-Propelled Drum Handler with a Stainless Steel Bracket Assembly to prevent the plastic drums from slipping.
To stay and thrive in CNY, Morse Manufacturing Adapts to the Times
Published June 30, 2012 - in The Post Standard
by Charles McChesney Machinist Terry Sollars removes a metal part from an automatic saw at Morse Manufacturing Co., 727 W. Manlius St., East Syracuse.
The company designs and makes drum-handling equipment, which is shipped worldwide. The company has been run by three generations of the Andrews family.
Workers at Morse Manufacturing cheered in 2007 when they learned Nathan Andrews had been appointed vice president.
"I didn't expect that." Andrews said on a summer afternoon five years later. President as of Jan. 1, he recognized that the reaction came from the relief
that workers felt that his family was staying with the company...
Nobody else would do that, said Robert Andrews, 71, chairman and owner of the company. Had his son not stepped forward, he might have had to
sell the company to investors. "They would say, "Why are you manufacturing here?"," he said. The work would have moved down South, or more
likely to China. And all these people would be out of jobs."
There is a below-hook lifter for almost any drum. The key is using the correct one. No one wants to drop a drum, with the associated damage,
lost or contaminated product, environmental impact, and possible injuries.
East Syracuse's Morse Manufacturing Seeks Customers Worldwide
By Charley Hannagan and printed in The Post Standard
How do you know your product is a hit in the international marketplace?
When a request for information written in Icelandic lands in your company's e-mail inbox.
The Icelandic message arrived at Morse Manufacturing Co., a 36-employee company in East Syracuse that makes drum handling equipment.
Some small companies hit the delete button when they receive those kinds of international e-mails, said Robert I. Trachtenberg, president of the
Central New York Technology Development Organization (TDO).
Smart companies, however, see them as an opportunity to sell into the international market, he said.
"All business is international business. If you're not thinking about it, your competitors are," Trachtenberg said.
Steven King of CNYIBA (Central New York Business Alliance) photographs a display of Morse's worldwide exports
Emerging Biodiesel Market "Fueled" Increased Gas Prices, Creating a HUGE Demand for Drum Heaters!!
Biodiesel Reactor at University of Wisconsin
Jan. 2006
More and more people are making biodiesel at home in small batches. Biodiesel production from used vegetable oil involves removing water by heating
to at least 120o C (248oF), and then cooling to below 60o C (140o F) for further processing.
Biodiesel Advantages
Cleaner-burning than petroleum diesel
More biodegradable than sugar
Less toxic than table salt
Reduces the need for foreign oil
Boosts local economies and agriculture
But biodiesel can gel at winter temperatures causing plugged fuel filters...
Solutions include...
Heaters for fuel tanks, fuel filters or fuel lines
Additives to enhance cold flow properties
Store vehicles iside heated building when not in use
A Morse drum heater was used in the development of a biodiesel reactor by University of Wisconsin engineering students.
"I believe the project went great given that everyone in the group was a first year engineering student," said Ben Pape, student at UW-Madison,
"...the project was really interesting and I think it should be interesting as alternative fuels start to gain momentum."
Label Forklifts for Attachments for OSHA Compliance
Oct. 2005
OSHA Requires Forklifts to be labeled when using a Drum Handling Attachment
The same forklift must be rated for different capacities depending upon mast height and type of attachment.
Extending weight out on the forks can decrease load stability.
We recently met an OSHA Compliance Officer who asked how we handle labeling lift trucks for use with our drum handling attachments.
He liked Morse's online documents for lost load calculations. However, that left the question of actually labeling the forklift unanswered.
He has seen cases when used trucks are rented or purchased, with no authorized dealer involved. You may not be able to get the forklift
manufacturer to cooperate. He said an alternative is "...if the employer has... written approval from a qualified Registered Professional Engineer..."
The relevant wording from an OSHA letter of interpretation is: "Written approval from the manufacturer of a powered industrial truck is
required for modifications and/or additions if the modifications and/or additions affect the capacity and safe operation of the truck.
However, please be aware that OSHA would consider the lack of manufacturers approval to be a de minimis violation [so minor as to be disregarded]
if the employer has obtained written approval from a qualified Registered Professional Engineer after receiving no response or a negative
response from the powered industrial truck manufacturer.
If the manufacturer's response was negative, then the engineer, prior to granting approval for the modification or addition, would need
to perform a safety analysis and address all safety and/or structural issues contained in the manufacturers disapproval..."
OSHA's Standard Interpretation states in part: "Modifications and additions which affect the capacity and safe operation shall not be
performed by the customer or user without manufacturers prior written approval. Capacity, operation, and maintenance instruction plates,
tags, or decals shall be changed accordingly."
Please refer to the Morse model Operator's Manual for center of gravity dimensions for calculating lost load when using your
forklift with a Morse drum handling attachment.
The full text of OSHA's powered industrial truck standard 29 CFR 1910.178 is on their website: www.osha.gov
Fight Freight Rates
Oct. 2005
Are truck lines driving you round the bend?
Morse Ships Drum Handling Equipment All Over the World from our single factory, in Central New York State
Very favorable freight discounts are available to us in the competitive local environment.
Following some simple procedures can help dramatically.
At Morse, we compete worldwide by offering high-quality innovative drum handling equipment and service after the sale, rather
than engaging in a "race to the bottom," sacrificing quality, durability and service solely to lower the price.
A couple of suggestions to Help Control Freight Rates
Freight discounts:
Working with multiple carriers, we pass on all discounts to you, rather than use freight as profit center.
The current competitive environment enables us to secure very favorable freight discounts. In spite of diminished manufacturing industry
in Central New York, freight carriers still need to maximize use of truck space following their deliveries to our locale.
We offer our expertise with trucking services to leverage competitive freight rates and quality transportation services with reputable
carriers for our customers. We always strive to find the most economical way of shipping. You may have us pre-pay and add the most
cost-effective means available, or designate a truck line for shipments, if you prefer.
Advantages:
Can significantly reduce freight cost
Frees you from obtaining multiple freight quotes
We deal with most freight issues for you
What about damaged freight?
We package our drum handlers to resist damage during transit, and use specially designed export crates for international shipments.
Truck lines are becoming more and more restrictive with freight claims.
A few steps can avert many problems...
...and minimize expenses, delays and hassles if complications do arise.
Check for visible damage. If you choose to accept damaged freight, always sign noting the damage on the dock receipt.
Document the damage and have the truck driver sign. We recommend keeping a digital camera at your receiving dock for this purpose.
Open packages expeditiously to check the condition of the goods. There is a 24 hour window to notify the carrier of any concealed damage.
Immediately report all damage to the truck line, and then contact your supplier for assistance with your freight claim.
Morse Manufacturing will not be held responsible for any damaged freight that is not signed for as damaged.
If delivery will be to a residential address, it is imperative that you so specify at the time you place an order. Delivery to non-business
addresses without a loading dock result in additional freight charges. Residential delivery fees, inside delivery fees, re-delivery charges,
and lift gate services will be added by the truck line, and are non-negotiable.
If we can help with freight issues... please give us a call.
Dec. 2016
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We recently met an OSHA Compliance Officer who asked how we handle labeling lift trucks for use with our drum handling attachments.
He liked Morse's online documents for lost load calculations. However, that left the question of actually labeling the forklift unanswered.
