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A fourth-generation business moving toward a greener fleet
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For four generations now, Melba Fresh has been supplying fresh fruit and vegetables across Melbourne, Victoria. Their business spans wholesale distribution, food service supply, and logistics, delivering to venues, restaurants and hotels.
As Melba Fresh Director, Lou Ponte, explains, the company’s reputation is built on quality, “We supply premium produce from growers across Australia, and we want our equipment and partners to reflect that same level of quality.”
Sustainability has become a major focus for Melba Fresh in recent years. Having operated gas-powered forklifts for decades, the team began exploring cleaner, more efficient options that would align with their environmental goals.
While the business had long been aware of Linde Material Handling, the introduction to Linde’s electric forklift range came through a familiar face — Linde’s Victorian Sales Manager, Alan Elmenawi, whom Lou had known for many years. “We were running gas-powered forklifts, but we wanted to start turning our fleet into a greener fleet. In our eyes, Linde are the leaders in lithium-ion technology and electric forklifts worldwide. For us, it was a natural fit to start our journey with Linde.”
Switching from gas to electric has already delivered tangible benefits — from reduced emissions to less downtime and cleaner air across the warehouse.
“We’re definitely reducing our gas consumption. We no longer need to buy gas bottles, which is a big saving. Our electricity costs may have gone up slightly, but overall, it’s a cleaner environment for both our produce and our staff, and that was a huge priority for us.”
Commenting on their environmental goals, Lou explains, “We’re committed to going greener, both with our forklift and truck fleets. It won’t happen overnight, but this is the direction we’re taking as a business.”
The decision to purchase two Linde E20 lithium-ion forklifts was driven not only by sustainability but also by performance, reliability, and innovation.
“The other options on the market didn’t give us what Linde offered. We were faced with options where you first had to charge down your battery before you can charge up. With Linde, their lithium-ion batteries are second to none. You can top them up at any time. We are running almost 24 hours a day. Any downtime can be a chance to charge up the battery, so we’re never stuck waiting for our equipment to be ready. That’s something our gas forklifts couldn’t match.”
Safety is another key priority for Melba Fresh. The company opted to equip their new forklifts with Linde BlueSpot, Warning Lines, and digital weight indicators, all designed to enhance workplace awareness and efficiency.
“These features are all about keeping our workplace safe. The Linde Warning Lines with the 2-metre exclusion zone helps our staff stay aware around forklifts.”
In an industry where produce is sold by weight, the integrated digital scale has been particularly valuable.
“Having a digital weight indicator built into the forklift saves time — we no longer need to weigh produce separately. It’s efficient, practical, and accurate.”
While Lou initially had some reservations about how his operators would adapt to electric machines, the shift has been remarkably smooth.
“I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the team embraced the change straight away. They love it. They no longer need to stop mid-shift to change gas bottles — and now, whenever the forklifts aren’t in use, they go on charge. There’s virtually no downtime at all.”
Beyond the equipment itself, Lou credits Linde’s customer service and attention to detail as key factors in the success of the transition.
“We were invited to Linde’s warehouse to speak directly with their technicians about the modifications we wanted. The team was fantastic — accommodating, responsive, and professional.
The delivery was seamless, and the team stayed while we set up the charging station to make sure everything was right. Overall, the team have been great to work with, supportive and easy to deal with. I’d highly recommend the Linde team, and we look forward to growing our relationship further.”
For Lou, partnering with Linde feels like a natural alignment of values.
“We see Linde as market leaders, and we want to work with the best. We supply quality produce, and Linde supplies quality forklifts. It’s a great partnership built on innovation, performance, and sustainability.”
Through continuous investment in greener operations, Melba Fresh is reaffirming its long-term commitment to a more sustainable fresh-produce industry.
You can learn how other businesses are partnering with Linde, as well as keep up to date with the latest in material handling safety and innovation by visiting our Content Hub.
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