Setting up Equipment for the Northwest Machine Tool Expo

Every other year, the Northwest Machine Tool Expo at the Oregon Convention Center brings together the Portland region’s best companies and customers in heavy machining. Vendors from Portland and Vancouver, but also from Seattle and even the East Coast look to showcase their products to a variety of customers.

These machine tools are often large and can be difficult to move. As the dedicated company for setting and moving this year’s equipment, Omega Morgan’s Machinery Moving team played a vital role in making sure the event itself went smoothly and the vendors could look their best selling their wares.

The Problem: Many Vendor Needs in Limited Space and on a Tight Schedule

Two full days. That’s all the time our teams had to set up 16 vendors and about 80 pieces of equipment, the equivalent of about 25 truckloads of product.

The Machine Tool Expo is a two-day event, wedged into a busy schedule at the Oregon Convention Center. The NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers play right next door at the Moda Center, and played a game just two days before this year’s event. That left a two-day window to pick, set, and keep all equipment clean and still allow the vendors enough time to finish setting up their booths.

Each vendor, of course, showcased different types of equipment. Each had specific needs in how to set up the pieces to make sure they matched the larger booth design and vision. All that had to occur in a limited space on a tight timeline.

The Process: Four Crews Take a Client Service Emphasis

It had to start with a plan. The total number of vendors and equipment required us to use four of our crews working on various tools at the same time. Each was assigned to a client, helping to pick and set the pieces exactly as required by the situation and vendor requests.

Each of the crews consisted of members who have worked together for years and were able to follow the foreman’s direction without clarification needed. That limited communication made it possible to move around the facility quickly, checking in with vendors, and following instructions to set the equipment precisely as needed.

Depending on the pieces, the process included both regular and overhead picks. Our crews used a total of six forklifts, two versa lifts, and three gear trailers to get the job done.

Booths, carpet, and other obstacles were overcome through careful collaboration. Each of the equipment pieces were show pieces, so the crews took particular care to make sure the products would look just as good as they did in the showroom.

Individually, each pick was routine work for our crews. The combination and volume of jobs added to the complexity of a limited space and time frame. The experience of our teams was crucial to making sure each piece of equipment was picked and set exactly as the vendors desired.

The Result: Happy Vendors and a Successful Machine Tool Expo

By the start of the Expo, each piece of equipment was ready and set to be showcased. Vendors talked to customers, sold some of their product, and we prepared for the next step. By the end of the two-day event, our crews helped to move the tools purchased by customers directly to their final destination, and the unsold inventory back into show rooms and warehouses.

In all, it was a successful event for Omega Morgan that showcased our expertise and experience in moving heavy equipment without errors on a tight schedule. The Expo organizers know they can count on us to ensure that their vendors will get what they need moved in on time, and moved out again, without any issues or complications.