It’s nearing the end of October in New England, which means the air is getting crisp, the leaves have turned, and we are dreading the winter weather that is sure to be upon us soon. However, there is plenty to look forward to in the region, and across the country, as professional sports like hockey and basketball start to gain momentum while football and the World Series capture our attention.

Pro sports have a profound economic impact on the material handling industry. Currently, in New England, the Red Sox are heading to the World Series, the Patriots are midseason, and the Bruins and Celtics have just started their regular seasons. Many of these teams’ games are played in the Boston area which means plenty of work for companies like Abel Womack.

Here are some of the ways that material handling is used during this busy sports season:

Forklifts

• Fenway Park – Pallet jacks are used to move kegs around the stadium before and after a game. Considering how much beer is drank at a three-hour+ game, that’s a monumental job.
• TD Garden – Sit down forklifts are used to help change over the playing surface depending on whether the Celtics or Bruins are playing.

Rentals

• Abel Womack supports one of the largest merchandise suppliers for Boston sports teams. This means that we see firsthand what happens when, for example, the Red Sox are in the playoffs. Suddenly, they get an influx of orders for AL East Championship shirts, Red Sox playoff hats, etc. and require rentals immediately to help move and get this product to the various shops around the region. With almost a thousand trucks in our rental fleet, we normally can handle any and all requests.

Food & Beverage Industry

• It goes without saying that the food and beverage industry are a huge part of sporting events. Whether you’re tailgating or catching the game at your local bar, sports provide a demand for larger quantities of food, beverages, and alcohol. This means that our customers depend on their forklifts being up and ready to get to work to support this influx. With Abel Womack providing two-hour response time for service requests, we ensure that this busy season runs much smoother for everyone.

While boots and gloves may be a part of our lives very soon, there is much to look forward to if you’re a sports fan, especially in New England. We have every reason to believe that this season will be no different and Abel Womack will be ready!