Northland Industrial Truck Co. Inc. is facing a challenge of its own, as technology is changing how its customers do business.

The Wilmington, Mass.-based company provides material handling and storage solutions for corporations, primarily in the industrial and construction markets. It has five branch locations, including a 35,000-square-foot location just off Route 20 in Shrewsbury.

But as forklifts and other equipment used in warehouses and distribution centers become more automated or use robotic technology, NITCO needs to find qualified technicians who can repair that machinery — and that has proven to be difficult.

"We have to service whatever we sell," said John Bradley, branch manager for NITCO's Shrewsbury branch. "And there is no real training program for what we do. We are always looking for technicians.'

Aging workforce

Mr. Bradley said his branch has 45 employees, including 21 mechanics. Of those, nearly half have been with the company for more than 20 years, and the median age of the group is 50.

"They are aging," he said, "and it is difficult for us to get qualified talent."

Richard Papalia, NITCO senior vice president, said the majority of the company's newer mechanics have come out of the automotive and diesel industry. The company has found that Norwood-based Universal Technical Institute has an adequate training program.

"We have been pleased with the foundation that students get there," Mr. Papalia said. "It's something that we can work with."

In Shrewsbury, Mr. Bradley said he was able to hire a new technician who had been a forklift technician at a warehouse distribution center.

"But other than that, most of our guys have been with us for a while," he said.

NITCO sells new and used industrial equipment, has a service department, a rental department and a parts department.

"We are like an auto dealership for industrial equipment," Mr. Papalia said.

The company also has a dedicated unit for floor cleaning equipment and supplies.

Mr. Bradley said the industrial equipment that the company sells and services relies more often on computers and robotics.

Showcase for vendors

"We have partnered with our vendors and have developed an integrated warehouse solutions center," Mr. Bradley said. "While we are not a business where our customers come to us, we wanted to have a place to bring our customers and prospective customers to educate them on how they can make their workplace better and more productive."

The warehouse solutions center started out as a small portion of the Shrewsbury branch, but it has grown to more than 7,500 square feet, as NITCO's vendors have taken advantage of the space to showcase their new products.

"We are using the space to demonstrate new technology, better ergonomics, improved productivity and safety as well as greener products and equipment," Mr. Bradley said. "Forklifts are a major line for us, as we have a pallet truck with a stacker that goes around the warehouse and takes a picture of everything and then runs on its own.

Help wanted

"It's called a vision-guided vehicle, but it is essentially robotics," Mr. Bradley said. "And we use telemetry for productivity analysis."

"The future is in automation and electronics," Mr. Papalia said.

Mr. Bradley said he is looking for someone who is proficient with computers and electronics, since all diagnostics are done via a computer module and all communication with equipment manufacturers is done electronically as well.

"And, we are looking for someone who has a great personality, since they will be interfacing with our clients when they go out on calls," he said.