Hello, Everyone, and welcome to Japan!
I just landed at Tokyo International Airport. The 14-hour flight was not as bad as I thought it would be; I had never flown with ANA before, but I would recommend it to anyone traveling to the Far East. Currently I am awaiting my connection to Fukuoka, where I will meet up with the general manager of Fuji robotics. He will be escorting me to the hotel, where I am sure my bed is calling. It is 5:00 p.m. now and you are 14 hours behind me… so have a wonderful Sunday, and I will be in touch again tomorrow!
All the best!

In eager anticipation of the Super Bowl yesterday, hoping to get my sports mojo flowing, I switched on the NHL telecast of the Pittsburgh versus Washington as I worked around the house. What a great game. The visiting Penguins jumped to a 4 to 1 lead and then lost in overtime, 5 to 4. That was fun to watch but what struck me about the game was that the two best players in the league were matched against one another, the Cap’s Alex Ovechkin and the Pen’s Sidney Crosby who, combined, scored 5 of the 9 goals in the game. They are incredible to watch. The announcers were singing their praises throughout the game, their incredible hand-eye coordination, their size, their eyesight and then the thing that I heard loud and clear that stopped me cold. It was how hard they both work at their game. They work harder than most everyone else in the league and because of that (at least in some large part), they’re the best. Hard Work can sound like…. “Practice makes Perfect”…… “The Early Bird Catches the Worm”…..”The More that I Practice, the Luckier I Get”……but to me it all boils down that there are no easy ways to succeed. No get rich quick schemes. It’s all about working hard and doing the little things that others refuse or are too lazy to do. We all have unique gifts but it’s Hard Work and the commitment to doing it that distinguishes the average or good from the great.

Darren Saxton has joined PeakLogix!  You may know Darren through previous experience with him at VNA International, Cleco Systems, FKI Logistics, or Schaefer Systems International.  While he has moved along, he’s still ready and able to meet all service and support needs on any systems you purchased in the past.  And in his new project management role at PeakLogix, Darren will be able to offer you additional or expanded options, from basic racking to fully automated systems.  PeakLogix is happy to have Darren – an employee as dedicated to strong customer service and support as they are!

Questions, comments, or just want to say “hello?” –

Darren’s new contact information:  (804) 302-1505 or dsaxton@peaklogix.com

Last week, Bob had the pleasure of accompanying a client to Toronto to visit Interoll, an international leader in supplying pallet flow systems.  The visit began with dinner out on a humming Wednesday night in Canada… just the thing to provide sustenance for the following eight-hour day spent touring the facility and observing the capabilities of the company.  The two enjoyed not only seeing the company in action, but also reviewing the results from tests done on products sent ahead by the client for analysis.  Getting home proved to be the most difficult part of the trip:  it’s much easier to leave the U.S. than it is to get back in!

PeakLogix recently gained a contract as a result of its new robotic test cell (featured in the last newsletter and pictured below). Impressed by the demonstration, the client signed on. The contract began as a quote for four of the palletizing robots; as discussions continued, however, it became clear that PeakLogix could provide the company with even greater improvements in efficiency. The scope of the project thus expanded to include a case conveyor system and a configuration merging several pallet outfeed lines into one single line prior to feeding into the stretchwrapping area. The project is still in the planning stages, but we look forward to sharing results!

Meet Tracy Buck.  Tracy is our Regional Director for the Roanoke/Lynchburg areas, with 18 years sales and management experience in the material handling industry.  He lives in the Lynchburg area with his wife, Andrea, and three sons: Trevor (age 10), Jon Douglas (alias JD) (age 8), and Austin (age 5).  Here, Tracy shares his tale of artificial winter fun with us…

“Well, I’m from Michigan, and many times we celebrate Thanksgiving at my folks’ house to avoid travel and Santa issues.  But when it’s time to celebrate JD’s birthday in the South, things like snow ball fights, ice fishing, and sledding become a challenge.  Sooooo…. what do you know! –  Liberty University creates “SnowFlex” for all of the children with winter birthdays so that they can enjoy a traditional winter birthday.  These are photos of JD’s 8th birthday party snow tubing on an artificial snow surface.  Unfortunately, some immature adults decided to join in on the fun… oh my!  I’m not sure who had more fun, the kids or the adults… all I know is that I won the adult division in all events ”

In keeping with the vision “…that none shall go hungry.”, the Central Virginia Foodbank (CVFB) feeds the elderly, children, the unemployed, the “working poor” victims of disaster, the sick, and those in crisis throughout the region. The vital service that the CVFB provides is clearly enhanced by material handling expertise, and PeakLogix has an ongoing interest in helping in this area.

During the month of November, PeakLogix held a company-wide food drive to collect food for the CVFB and collected food for 123 meals.

While working with Vic Miller, the Warehouse & Logistics Manager for the Foodbank, we learned of their need for hand trucks. PeakLogix was more than happy to provide hand trucks that are now in operation in their warehouse and one will even been used in the local Christmas parade.

Thank you to everyone at PeakLogix for their generous donations.

Happy Holidays,
Bob Giberson, Principal

PeakLogix client, AVID Medical recently completed an $8 million expansion that doubled the size of its plant. The open house was last week, and PeakLogix CEO, Bob Giberson, and Karen Lynch were excited to attend.

Despite the sluggish economy, AVID plans to add another 100 employees as the national demand for its surgical kits continues to explode. By ordering custom procedure trays from AVID, hospitals and surgery centers reduce the turnaround time for procedures in operating rooms and increases efficiency by 25 to 30 percent.

From its plant in Toano, VA, AVID provides trays to some 1,000 hospitals and surgery centers for a host of medical procedures. Orthopedic and cardiovascular procedures are their top growth markets.

This is AVID’s second expansion. In 2002, it broke ground on a $3.5 million, 45,000 square foot addition to its 40,000 square foot plant. This latest expansion adds 90,000 square feet, doubling the size of the plant.

We are honored to play a role in a Virginia success story like this one. AVID started as a two person company in a small office and has grown to be an inspiring presence in the Virginia business community.