January 2020
The integration of Toyota Forklift’s business units, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) and Toyota Material Handling USA (TMHU), Columbus, Ind., into a single business unit is officially complete.
The company’s new name is Toyota Material Handling.
The move combines Toyota’s forklift manufacturing operations with its sales, marketing and distribution functions. The company remains headquartered in Columbus.
TMH is led by Jeff Rufener, president and CEO; Tony Miller, senior vice president; and Bill Finerty, senior vice president.
“Toyota is more committed than ever to being a complete material handling solutions provider,” Rufener said. “The integration of TIEM and TMHU will allow us to simplify, streamline and strengthen the entire customer experience. Integrating our teams will improve the flow of information to and from our customers so we can deliver exactly what they need when they need it.”
Integrating the two business units is the next step in a process that started in 2014 when TMHU completed a three-year relocation of its headquarters from California to Indiana. The integration process occurred progressively throughout 2019.
“We’re already seeing results, and we’re just getting started,” Rufener said. “The results have been gratifying in terms of the attitudes of our associates, and also in the tangible improvement and efficiency in our business.
“The world is changing faster every day, and our business has to change with it. Standing still is simply not an option. Combining our companies is another step forward on that journey,” Rufener said.
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