As part of Toyota Industries Corporation’s (TICO) global strategy to focus on its material handling business, Irvine, Calif.-based Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) will acquire the Industrial Equipment Division (IED) of Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) effective Oct. 1, 2011.
Over the past decade, globally Toyota has strategically separated its industrial equipment operations from its automotive distributors to allow greater focus on each business segment. The restructuring will allow the Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA) organization to enhance support to dealers and customers by integrating and aligning business operations throughout Canada and the U.S.
With the transfer of business operations to TMHU, Brett Wood, president of TMHU, will assume responsibility over this new market effective Oct. 1, 2011. In addition, current TCI IED director, Rob Reinders, will join TMHU’s senior management team with Canadian field staff continuing to provide support to dealers across Canada. There will be no job losses at TCI as a result of the transfer of business operations to TMHU.
The IE Division of TCI currently also supplies specialized trucks and parts to dealers in Canada, who provide customized vehicles to mining companies. This business will now continue solely as part of TCI's automotive operations.
“We are encouraged by the business opportunities that our Canadian IED dealers will have as they align with Toyota’s global material handling business,” said Yoichi Tomihara president and chief executive officer of Toyota Canada Inc. “By concentrating on core Toyota material handling efficiencies, Canadian IED dealers will be able to leverage TMNHA’s expertise to build their businesses and continue to deliver and enhance their industry leading customer support capabilities.”
