At the ProMat event, the Materials Handling & Management Society (MHMS) Advisor Council met at McCormick Place in Chicago to discuss such key issues as expanding its membership, adding a new chapter and electing new officers.

The council's primary order of business was its vote to expand its at-large seats from six to ten, allowing leaders of other organizations to participate in the decision-making and direction of MHMS. The council invited the Material Handling Equipment Dealers Association (MHEDA) to assume one of the newly created positions. Liz Richards, executive director, MHEDA, accepted the offer, which will allow MHEDA and MHMS to coordinate activities and increase the services offered to members of the associations.

MHMS also extended an invitation to the New Jersey Material Handling Society to join as an affiliate. This new membership, if accepted by NJMHS, will add more than 250 members to MHMS.

In addition to its new membership, MHMS voted to re-elect Mike Flamer of the Dorfman Group as chairman and reaffirm Bobbie Curtis of MHIA (Material Handling Industry of America) as the council's executive director.