Industrial Equipment Division of Toyota Canada aligns with Toyota Global Material Handling Division

As part of Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) global strategy to focus on its material handling business, Irvine, Calif.-based Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. (TMHU) announced today that effective Oct. 1, 2011 it will acquire the Industrial Equipment Division (IED) of Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI).

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.

Toyota is the number one full line supplier of lift trucks in North America and the new integrated business structure will build upon this strong foundation for additional growth in the coming years. 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

“Today we are further evolving TMHNA’s capabilities to better leverage the knowledge and expertise throughout our North American companies,” said Kazue Sasaki, chairman of Toyota Material Handling North America. “This step will ensure that our North American customers continue to receive industry-leading products and service.”

“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.”