Photo: The Martin Brower site in Rosières-aux-Salines is one of nine logistics facilities in France equipped with POWERCHOCK vehicle restraints
GMR Safety’s story began more than 25 years ago in Quebec, but the European adventure really began in 2014. Martin Brower France, exclusive logistics service provider for the world’s fast food industry leader, was among the Canadian manufacturer’s first partners to adopt the innovative concept of the POWERCHOCK wheel restraint system.
Club DEMETER’s 2015 Appel à Projets Innovants (API) [Call for Innovative Projects] was the scene of the meeting between the two businesses. GMR Safety was named one of the winners of the event, thanks to its ergonomic POWERCHOCK 5 solution. Gaétan Jetté, president and founder of the Canadian firm, and his partner Vincent Trémouilhe met with Martin Brower France’s Thierry Allègre, Director of Operations Support, and Gérard Divaret, Technical Director.
They quickly recognized the simplicity and efficiency of the new type of wheel restraint.
Photo: Martin Brower France ensures the safety of its personnel at loading docks with POWERCHOCK vehicle restraints
Safety on Loading Docks: An Integral Part of Martin Brower’s Health and Safety Policy
Because any accident is unacceptable, and because workplace safety is in Martin Brower’s DNA, it does everything it can – every day – to protect its team members. Consequently, in each of the 19 countries where the logistics provider operates, this credo is expressed through implementation of effective measures and reliable equipment.
In France, Martin Brower’s numbers speak for themselves: 63 million packages per day, prepared and delivered to more than 1,500 restaurants, a total 516,000 tons of product. With this kind of cargo flow distributed over nine sites in France, transshipment operations at loading docks result in hazardous situations for goods and, especially, for people.
Faced with this reality, and within the context of an overall focus on health and safety culture for all team members, Martin Brower France’s teams promote the “durability, simplicity, and reliability” of the POWERCHOCK restraint systems, built to secure all types of vehicles. “The five-year warranty that covers the wheel chock system, even in the event of early departure attempts is, of course, another of the reasons we opted for this safety equipment,” points out Thierry Allègre.
We are completely satisfied with the equipment, and the drivers have adapted well to the systems.
The Safe Choice for Maximum Operational Efficiency
When it began operation in 2016, the logistics site at La Brède, near Bordeaux, was equipped with the POWERCHOCK 5 vehicle restraint system. “We are completely satisfied with the equipment, and the drivers have adapted well to the systems,” Gérard Divaret quickly declared, after all loading docks had
been equipped. Soon after that, the equipment was installed at all sites in France. The reasons for this deployment? The POWERCHOCK system’s virtually non-existent need for maintenance, combined with its effectiveness and durability, allowed Martin Brower to focus on their core business. Consequently, seven years after the first installations, the situation is clear: thanks to team satisfaction and the group’s influence, there is no doubt that Martin Brower helped GMR Safety’s expansion in France. The Quebec firm is proud of this partnership.
