Tuesday, June 24, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ind. – Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) donated $10,000 and the use of a lift truck to the American Red Cross to assist in the flood relief efforts in the Columbus, Ind., area following last week’s devastating floods. Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Inc. (TIEM), which has been based in Columbus, Ind. since 1990, presently has close to 900 associates who reside in the local area.

In addition, several associates of Hupp Toyotalift, a Toyota Industrial Equipment dealer with locations throughout Iowa, were severely affected by the flooding. The dealership also suffered tremendous damage to its branch location in Davenport, Iowa. As a result, Hupp Toyotalift has opened in a temporary location in Eldridge, Iowa at 300 East Trails Street.

TMHU also has setup a matching gifts program for its associates and network of dealers to raise funds for TIEM and Hupp Toyotalift associates that incurred significant flood damage. Toyota Industries Companies, including TMHU, further established a $27,500 fund for TIEM associates directly affected by the flood. In addition, company clothing and canned food drives are being held at TMHU’s headquarters in Irvine, Calif., and its Columbus, Ind., location, and at TIEM to offer aid to those who fell victim to the floods.

“Columbus is a community where our associates, live, work and play. We are saddened by this natural disaster and news of those impacted by the torrential floods,” said Shankar Basu, president and CEO of TMHU. “Toyota has implemented a number of programs including extending this donation to the Red Cross to help our associates and others in the community in their recovery efforts. We’re also looking forward to partnering with our dealer body to raise funds for our Toyota family at Hupp Toyotalift.”

Historically, Toyota has actively supported the American Red Cross in its efforts to assist those impacted by disasters nationwide through financial and product contributions, including relief during Hurricane Katrina and the Southern California wildfires.

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 one of the top selling lift truck suppliers 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 TIEM. Most of the Toyota lift trucks, including the 8-Series, 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’s commitment to excellence in customer service extends nationwide. Sixty-eight authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers, with a total of 190 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. For more information on TMHU, please visit www.toyotaforklift.com or call 1-800-226-0009.