Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA) President and CEO Brett Wood has been appointed to serve on the 2014-2015 Manufacturers Board of Advisors of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) and to the 2014-2015 Board of Governors for the Material Handling Institute (MHI).

As president and CEO, Wood leads TMHNA, a company comprised of Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc. (TIEM); Toyota Material Handling U.S.A. Inc., (TMHU) and The Raymond Corporation, the leading provider of narrow aisle electric lift trucks in North America. He also is chairman of TMHU, supplier of the number one selling lift truck brand in the U.S. since 2002. In addition, Wood serves as a board member for The Raymond Corporation and for TIEM, Toyota's zero-landfill forklift manufacturing facility in Columbus, Ind.

"I am honored to have been appointed to the boards of MHEDA and MHI, two essential organizations in our industry representing material handling dealers and companies," said Wood. "Together, with my fellow appointees, we look forward to supporting the interests of our members and raising the visibility of the material handling industry and its importance to the U.S. economy."

Wood is a member of the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) Executive Committee and Board of Directors and previously served as the ITA's chairman of the General Engineering Committee. He contributes to bothModern Materials Handling magazine's editorial advisory board and the Electric Power Research Institute's Industry Advisory Council. In addition, he sits on the advisory board for SafetyBeltSafe USA, the national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to child passenger safety. Wood also serves on the board of Team Kids, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering children to change the world, and the California State Soccer Association.

About Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA)

The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) is the only national trade association dedicated solely to improving the proficiency of the material handling distributors. MHEDA represents more than 600 companies in the material handling equipment business and serves more than 5,000 individuals; 372 Distributors, 251 Supplier/Associates. Located in suburban Chicago, the association provides services to companies seeking to improve their business through education, networking, benchmarking and best practices.

About MHI

Founded in 1945, MHI is an international trade association whose 800 members include material handling, logistics and supply chain equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers and third party logistic providers. Much of the work of the industry is done within its 19 product-specific Industry Groups. The association sponsors trade events, such as ProMat and MODEX to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing, distribution and supply chain professionals on the productivity solutions provided through material handling and logistics. Material handling and logistics equipment and systems sales in America exceed $156 billion a year and these industries employ more than 700,000 workers.

About The Raymond Corporation

The Raymond Corporation is a global provider of unmatched material handling technology, expertise and support to increase productivity and cost-efficiency. Designed with ecological and economical benefits in mind, Raymond® lift trucks are engineered to achieve higher performance and increase efficiency.

About Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU)

Celebrating more than 45 years in business in North America, TMHU is the supplier of Toyota lift trucks, the number one selling brand since 2002. In addition to the full line of high-quality lift trucks, the company's extended industrial equipment solutions include Automatic Guided Vehicles and scissor lifts. About Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc. (TIEM)

Established more than 20 years ago in Columbus, Ind., TIEM is a zero-landfill facility responsible for manufacturing the majority of Toyota's forklifts sold in North America. TIEM has produced more than 450,000 Toyota lift trucks since its opening in 1990.