IRVINE, Calif., (March 6, 2008) – For the fourth consecutive year, Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.’s (TMHU) lift trucks have been named number one in quality and value in an independent survey conducted by Reed Business Information.

The annual survey was conducted by Reed Business Information’s Research group on behalf of Modern Materials Handling magazine to better understand the current state, trends and practices in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution environments. Responses were collected from 605 industry decision-makers involved in the purchasing of material handling equipment, products, technologies and services.

Respondents represented companies from a wide range of industries, including: wholesale trade, electronic equipment, food and beverages, retail trade and fabricated metals.

“This annual survey provides valuable feedback from those who use Toyota lift trucks daily for their business,” said Shankar Basu, president and CEO of TMHU. “As indicated by the survey, product quality, performance and value are the most important characteristics evaluated by the respondents – areas we focus on mastering and consider a cornerstone of Toyota.”

About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.

Celebrating more than 40 years of established operations in the United States, Irvine, Calif.-based Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc., (TMHU) has been the number-one selling lift truck supplier in the U.S. since 2002 and currently offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. Built on a reputation of excellence, Toyota remains popular due to its quality, reliability and durability. Quality is the hallmark of Toyota’s world-renowned Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM) in Columbus, Ind. Most of the Toyota lift trucks sold in the United States are manufactured at TIEM.

TIEM, and all Toyota manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada, comply with the ISO 14001 standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and have been honored for their environmental management systems and dedication to continuous improvement. Toyota remains the first and only manufacturer in the world to offer a factory installed Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel system that is UL-listed, and EPA-CARB certified. Toyota’s LPG-, CNG- and gasoline-powered 8-Series lift trucks produce 70 percent less smog-forming emissions than the current federal EPA standard and meet California’s more stringent 2010 emission standard.1

Toyota’s commitment to excellence in customer service extends nationwide. Sixty-eight authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers, with a total of 188 dealership locations throughout the United States, offer comprehensive customer service support, including one-stop shopping for both new and Certified Used lift trucks, parts, service and financing. 
 

1 All Toyota 8-Series models count as 0.6 g/bhp-hr (0.8 g/kW-hr) HC+NOx towards California’s end-user fleet average calculation—measures do not apply to diesel configured models.