Toyota Material Handling USA to Relocate to Columbus, Ind.

Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc.(TMHU) announced last week it will be relocating its North American headquarters from Irvine, Calif., to Columbus, Ind. The relocation and eventual closing of the Irvine office will take place in phases, beginning fall 2012. It is expected to be completed over the next several years.

The company has been headquartered in Irvine since March 2002 and currently employs 72 people. The majority of Irvine associates are being offered relocation, and those not moving will be offered severance and job placement assistance.

Toyota's Columbus, Ind., campus has more than 1 million square feet of facilities sitting on 126 acres. It currently employs 53 associates. The TMHU Columbus offices are connected to Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., which is where the majority of Toyota lift trucks sold in North America are built.

"Bringing all TMHU associates under one roof will allow us to be more responsive to customer and dealer needs," said Jeff Rufener, TMHU president. "Being on the Columbus campus with our forklift plant will result in more synergies and improved communications between sales and marketing and manufacturing."

Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), the parent company of TMHU, has conducted similar relocations to align sales and marketing with manufacturing plants in Takahama, Japan, and Mjölby, Sweden.