Linamar Corporation’s Skyjack division has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity’s branch in Birmingham, Ala., to help build a neighborhood of houses for low-income families.
Skyjack donated a VR843E telehandler to help haul and lift roofing material during the Home Builders Blitz, a national event in which professional builders team up with Habitat for Humanity to build, renovate, and repair homes across the United States.
“Skyjack’s contribution helped us work more efficiently, thus saving resources, particularly ensuring materials were available on each of the building sites,” explained Karen Peterlin, director of development for the Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity. “We really liked the machine's capabilities. It allowed us to save time and eased our operations.”
The Skyjack telehandler helped Habitat for Humanity complete 13 houses during the week-long blitz. The lift saved the volunteers valuable time.
Carrying shingles up a ladder to one side of a roof would typically have taken four hours of manpower. The Skyjack VR843E did it in just one lift. With 13 work sites bustling at once, the VR843E helped minimize the number of people needed to unload materials, freeing more volunteers to work on constructing the houses.
With a maximum lifting height of 43’1” and maximum lifting capacity of 8,000 lbs., the telehandler was the perfect machine to help Habitat for Humanity complete a successful week of building houses. The telehandler also has a 28’2” maximum forward reach, 12’3” turning radius, and three-speed transmission with power shift.
Since 2006, Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz has partnered with professional builders to build and renovate homes across the country. The Birmingham branch has taken part in the national event since its start, and this year built an entire neighborhood of homes. Nationally, this year’s Home Builders Blitz plans to build 250 homes in 35 states.
Habitat for Humanity works globally to improve living conditions for homeless and low-income families and to help families struggling from natural disasters or political unrest. The organization works with over 1,400 local affiliates in the United States, and more than 70 national organizations worldwide to improve living conditions for more than one million families.
Skyjack donated the telehandler to Habitat for Humanity as part of its 30 FOR 30 PARTNERS anniversary campaign. In celebration of 30 successful years in business, Skyjack is donating machine rentals to support 30 different charitable projects around the world. The campaign is a way to give back to the communities that have supported Skyjack for the past 30 years.
“Everyone at Skyjack is very excited to be in our 30th year in business and to celebrate by giving back to our dedicated supporters with the 30 FOR 30 PARTNERS program,” said Malcolm Early, vice president of marketing at Skyjack. “Habitat for Humanity is a great cause, and I am happy that Skyjack is able to help 13 families receive affordable homes. I am looking forward to all of the different projects Skyjack will be Supporting during the next year.”
Caption 1: Alicia Huey, owner of AGH Homes, drives the Skyjack VR843E telehandler through the development of 13 new houses being built during Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham’s annual Home Builders Blitz.
Caption 2: Charles Moore, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham, speaks to a crowd of volunteers and recipients at the key handover ceremony, where families were presented with the keys to their new house.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
