Toyota Forklift Rolls Out New Name: Toyota Material Handling

Toyota Forklift’s two business units—Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) and Toyota Material Handling USA (TMHU)—have formally integrated into a single business unit, completing a process begun a year ago. The company’s new name is Toyota Material Handling Inc. (TMH).

The move combines Toyota’s forklift manufacturing operations with its sales, marketing and distribution functions. The company remains headquartered in Columbus, Ind., where the Toyota Forklift brand has been manufactured since 1990. TMH is led by president and CEO Jeff Rufener, senior vice president Tony Miller and senior vice president Bill Finerty.

“The integration of TIEM and TMHU will allow us to simplify, streamline and strengthen the entire customer experience,” Rufener explained.

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.

Toyota Material Handling offers a full line of material handling products proudly assembled in the United States, including forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, pallet jacks, container handlers, automated guided vehicles, and tow tractors, along with aerial work platforms, fleet management services, and advanced automation engineering and design. Toyota’s commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction, the hallmark of the Toyota Production System, extends throughout more than 230 locations across North America.