Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU) recently announced the 2005 winners of its prestigious President’s Award. TMHU selects its top dealers each year from a nationwide network of 69 dealers and 184 dealership locations, recognizing them for demonstrating excellence in their parts, service, equipment sales, customer satisfaction and overall dealership operations.

These dealers are commended for their extraordinary commitment and high standards, which helped Toyota strengthen its position as the number one selling lift truck in the United States for the fourth consecutive year. This year, 15 winners earned the coveted award and were acknowledged at Toyota’s Spring National Dealer Meeting at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla.

The winners are:

• Jerry Hatmaker of Allied Toyotalift, Knoxville, Tenn.
• Vann Williford of Atlantic Coast Toyotalift, High Point, N.C.
• Al Rawson of Atlas Toyota Material Handling, Schiller Park, Ill.
• Ron McCluskey of Brodie Toyota-Lift, Lawrence, Mass.
• Jeff Fischer of Florida Lift Systems, Inc., Tampa, Fla.
• Brian Hull of Hull Lift Truck, Inc., Elkhart, Ind.
• Ed Hull of ILT Toyota-Lift, Cleveland, Ohio
• Sam Smartt Jr. of Kenco Toyota-Lift, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Don Herman of Lift, Inc., Lancaster, Pa.
• Jeff Fischer of Southern States Toyotalift, Jacksonville, Fla.
• Larry McKevitt of Summit Handling Systems, Inc., North Haven, Conn.
• Michael Elliott of SwiftLift, Inc., Victor, N.Y.
• Richard Andres of Toyota Material Handling Northern California, Hayward, Calif.
• Joe Quinto of Toyota-Lift of Los Angeles, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
• Scott Plummer of W.D. Matthews Machinery Co., Auburn, Maine

The President’s Award, previously known as the Quality Dealer Award, is TMHU’s highest honor, and is only awarded to those dealerships that have succeeded in maintaining Toyota’s high standards for excellence in every area of operations and service. Since its inception in 1990, this coveted honor has been given to select dealers to acknowledge their outstanding accomplishments in sales, customer satisfaction and overall dealership operations.

"Thanks to our strong network of dealers, 2005 was a spectacular year for the Toyota family. We increased our market share and further strengthened our number one title in the industry," said Shankar Basu, TMHU president and CEO. "We recognize our leading dealers and applaud their hard work and commitment to earning this award."

To demonstrate the company’s appreciation, each President’s Award recipient received an exquisite Tiffany & Co. crystal award and will be congratulated in a full-page, color advertisement in the MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association) Journal. TMHU also is hosting a trip to Barcelona, Spain for the winners.

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

Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., Inc. (TMHU), the number one selling lift truck supplier in the U.S. since 2002, is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. Built on a reputation for excellence, Toyota is known for its quality, reliability and durability. In fact, third-party research indicates Toyota lift trucks rank highest in quality and value among the top competitors. 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.

Toyota’s commitment to excellence in customer service extends nationwide. Sixty-nine authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers, with a total of 184 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.