Hyster Company Names Dealer of Distinction Recipients

April 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

GREENVILLE, N.C. (April 11, 2012) –

Hyster Company recently honored its top-performing dealers with its prestigious Dealer of Distinction award. The 2011 award-winning celebration, held on Kiawah Island, S.C., marked the 18th year that Hyster has honored its dealers for their industry-leading level of performance in all areas of the materials handling business. “Hyster Company’s Dealer of Distinction Awards Program recognizes dealers with focused leadership who have driven their companies to the highest level of performance in all areas of the business,” said Jonathan Dawley, president of Hyster Distribution. “The dealers that make this commitment to strive for distinction elevate their organization to this elite level.”To become a Dealer of Distinction, dealers must reach elevated goals in customer satisfaction, dealer performance, general management, truck sales, short-term rental, training, aftermarket sales, and parts and service operations.

Recipients of the 2011 Dealer of Distinction award include:

Arnold Machinery Company – Utah
MH Equipment – Iowa Division
MH Equipment – Kentuckiana
Papé Material Handling, Inc. – Portland
Papé Material Handling, Inc. – Eugene
Papé Material Handling, Inc. – Central Washington
Papé Material Handling, Inc. – Sacramento
Papé Material Handling, Inc. – Spokane
Sellers Equipment, Inc.
Wajax Industries – West
Arnold Machinery’s Colorado Division was named a Dealer of Merit.

About Hyster Company

Based in Greenville, N.C., Hyster Company (www.hyster.com) is a leading worldwide lift truck designer and manufacturer. Hyster Company offers 130 models configured for gasoline, LPG, diesel and electric power, with the widest capacity range in the industry — from 2,000 to 115,000 lbs. Supported by one of the industry’s largest and most experienced dealer networks, Hyster Company builds tough, durable lift trucks that deliver high productivity, low total cost of ownership, easy serviceability and advanced ergonomic features; accompanied by outstanding parts, service and training support.Hyster Company is an operating division of NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc. (NMHG), which employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide. NMHG is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of NACCO Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NC).
*Press Release courtesy of Modern Materials Handling

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Meet Jamie Coon | Material Handling Specialist – Indianapolis, IN

January 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We are proud to welcome Jamie Coon to the MH Equipment Family!  As one of newest Material Handling Specialists, Jamie has been with the company for about 5 months and works out of the Indianapolis, IN branch.

Before joining MH Equipment, Jamie worked as a Sales and Design Engineer for a company that focused on specialized equipment design and prototype development.  “I came to MH Equipment through the recommendation of a friend and neighbor that also works here and thought it would be a great fit for me.”

Jamie and his wife Tina have 2 children – a daughter, Kristen, who is 17 years old and a son, Kolin, who is 11 years old.  “We spend much of our time at various sporting events and enjoy our summers on the lake.  I pay a great deal of attention to my health so I spend a lot of time exercising at the gym and trying to keep myself in shape.  I also coach with a local High School football team so much of my spare time centers on sports related activities.  My 11 year old son really enjoys being involved and being around the team so we spend a lot of time together in those settings.”

Jamie says his favorite sports team – without a doubt – is the New York Yankees. “I was born and raised in New York and it has been implanted in my DNA from birth that the sun rises and sets at Yankee Stadium.  I have found this to be true as I pass this family tradition on to my son.”

Jamie says his most satisfying experience as a Material Handling Specialist thus far has been the complete sales cycle and install of four new class II N35ZR trucks for a customer who is in the beginning stages of cycling out twenty-one competitors trucks.

Building fast and long standing relationships with customers has always been Jamie’s strong suit. “I have been very fortunate in my life to work with several different types of personalities and have developed the ability to adapt and find ways to best communicate with those people.  People buy from people they like and I have always focused on building a relationship first.  This has allowed me be very successful in penetrating accounts and allowing my design and engineering background to come to light.  It allows my thoughts and recommendations to be more credible and reliable.”

In his short time here at MH Equipment, Jamie says that he hasn’t experienced any real out of the ordinary application situations.  Most have been paper mills and warehouses.  “I’m still searching frantically for that unique opportunity!”

When asked what one famous person in history he would like to have dinner with, and why, Jamie responded:  “There are a few that come to mind but the one that sticks out the most to me is John Kennedy.  His vision, leadership and inspiration  he gave to so many people was ahead of its time and ground breaking.  He came from great wealth and family tradition but made it alright to be a common man and want/deserve all that you can.  He showed us all what could be as a whole instead of as an individual.  We all have a great responsibility to a greater cause.”

“The one thing that always surprises people about me is that I am an avid acoustic guitar player.  I have been at it for almost 25 years now.  It is something I try to do for at least 30 minutes every day now.  It used to be more than that but not enough time in the day.  It is a great form of relaxation for me.  Every once in a while I will bring it out to a group of people and the shock on their faces is great.”

Jamie says the people he works with every day is what he likes most about MH Equipment.  “Everyone works together as a group to better the company and is willing to help one other achieve success for the company.”

 

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Independent Study Ranks Hyster Company No. 1 in Brand Satisfaction

December 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Based on evaluations from current customers of leading lift truck brands

GREENVILLE, N.C. (December 5, 2011)  – In an independent survey conducted by Peerless Media Research Group, Hyster Company ranked No. 1 in brand satisfaction. Current customers of leading lift truck brands including Toyota, Crown and Raymond were evaluated.

“It is truly a testament to our associates’ hard work that we received the top-place ranking in brand satisfaction,” said Jonathan Dawley, president of Hyster Distribution. “This award represents not only our commitment to producing durable, long-lasting products, but also to the outstanding dealer base that drives customer satisfaction every day.”

Peerless Media Research Group’s study surveyed individuals in September 2011 who indicated that they were involved in their company’s lift truck purchase process. The sample group was selected from its Logistics Management subscriber base and represented leading lift truck brands including Hyster, Toyota, Crown and Raymond. The results were based on 540 qualified respondents with a margin of error of ± 4.3 percent.

“This is the second No. 1 award that Hyster has received in a four-month span,” continued Dawley. “The first resulted from a July Peerless survey in which Hyster® lift trucks ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for total cost of ownership. Together, our two No. 1 awards are helping propel Hyster to the forefront of the lift truck industry – showcasing our strength in the aftermarket and parts and service arenas.

About Hyster Company
Based in Greenville, N.C., Hyster Company (www.hyster.com) is a leading worldwide lift truck designer and manufacturer. Hyster Company offers 130 models configured for gasoline, LPG, diesel and electric power, with the widest capacity range in the industry — from 2,000 to 115,000 lbs. Supported by the industry’s largest and most experienced dealer network, Hyster Company builds tough, durable lift trucks that deliver high productivity, low total cost of ownership, easy serviceability and advanced ergonomic features; accompanied by outstanding parts, service and training support. In an independent survey conducted by Peerless Media Research Group, the full line of Hyster Company lift trucks ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for total cost of ownership in 2011.

Hyster Company is an operating division of NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc. (NMHG), which employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide. NMHG is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of NACCO Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NC).

For more information, please contact:
Brett Turner
Jackson Marketing Group
864-272-3014
brett.turner@jacksonmg.com

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Meet Mike DeFrancisco!

November 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This week we are excited to introduce Mike DeFrancisco!  Mike is the Regional Rental Manager for MH Equipment’s entire Western Division.  Mike has been with the company for just shy of 4 years.  (Happy Anniversary on 11/27 Mike!)

Prior to joining the MH Team, Mike worked for a large full line construction rental company.  He was in search of something more and was looking for a company that would recognize him for who he is instead of just another number – He wanted the opportunity to grow…  MH Equipment was the perfect fit!

Mike says he has been married to his wonderful and lovely wife Linda for 13 years. Mike has a daughter, Jessica, who is 17 and will be starting college next year and a son, Austin, who is 16 and is a junior in high school.  The DeFrancisco family enjoy spending their summers at their cabin on Lost Island Lake near the little town of Ruthven, IA.

Mike loves pheasant hunting, biking, running, and just hanging out with family and friends.  He and his family also volunteer as a foster home for a non-profit German Shorthair Pointer Dog Rescue.  Mike is also a big Iowa State Cyclones fan – he got that from working in Ames, IA and doing business with the University for a number of years.  (GO Clones!)  Mike also told me that back in his “young and crazy days” he was a bull rider in local Iowa rodeos – “just for fun” – he added!  (WOWZA!)

Mike says, “Rental is what I live and breathe every day.  Being part of a winning team that continues to grow year after year has been the most rewarding and satisfying experience since joining the MH Equipment team.  It’s the people, atmosphere, and culture that make it such a great place to work!”

We’re happy to have Mike on board here at MH Equipment!  Remember to give him a call for any and all of your equipment rental needs – from forklifts to backhoes – it’s YOURS WHEN YOU NEED IT… and OURS WHEN YOU DON’T!

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Meet Eric Shock!

October 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This week we are pleased to spotlight Mr. Eric Shock! Eric is a Construction Equipment Specialist at our Charleston, WV branch.

Eric is a newcomer to the company but since he started in July of this year he has sold 6 machines! His proudest moment so far was selling two machines to the City of Hurricane, WV. (We hope it’s your first of many proud moments to come Eric!). Before coming to MH Equipment Eric was the Assistant Vice President at Huntington Insurance and an Account Executive for Federated Insurance.

Eric and his beautiful wife Amber have been married for 9 years and have 3 amazing children, Carson, Isaac, and Gracee who are all under the age of 7! As a family they enjoy attending church activities as well as local sporting events. Eric says his favorite team is the West Virgina University Mountaineers.

When Eric isn’t working hard selling machinery or with his family he loves to go bow hunting and has been an active archer for over 15 years. He also enjoys landscaping and beautifying his yard with plants.

If Eric could have dinner with anyone is history he says he would like to share a meal (preferably sushi) with Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt was credited with establishing the National Parks System and since he also was an avid hunter they would have tons to talk about!

Eric says he really enjoys the people at MH Equipment and the Values of the company and it’s employees.

Thank you, Eric for sharing your story and we look forward to sharing continued success with you!

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Make-A-Wish Foundation®

October 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

2010 PSA – Click to watch video

As one of MH Equipment‘s designated corporate charities, we are proud to highlight Make-A-Wish Foundation®

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation’s mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish®experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 after a little boy named Chris Greicius realized his heartfelt wish to become a police officer. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 250,000 children around the world.

Although it has become one of the world’s most well-known charities, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has maintained the grassroots fulfillment of its mission.

A network of nearly 25,000 volunteers enable the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special events assistants and in numerous other capacities.

As the Foundation continues to mature, its mission will remain steadfast. Wish children of the past, present and future will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish®.

Sources:

http://www.wish.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTMxYGZk1H8

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Meet Beth Fisher!

October 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This week we are pleased to spotlight Beth Fisher! Beth is an Aftermarket Sales Representative and has been with MH Equipment for over 7 years. Beth came to the company with a rich background in the material handling industry. With over 27 years of experience, she knows the equipment capabilities and capacities of both aerial and lift trucks and enjoys learning about the new equipment and having the ability to operate it – and in turn teach others.

Before coming to MH, Beth worked at two other lift truck dealerships and also owned her own company, Perpetual Motion, Inc. where she conducted custom training programs for customers incorporating OSHA & ANSI procedures. Many programs would include video from customer’s equipment and applications. She has trained over 3000 operators and 250 trainers throughout her years of being an instructor.

For Beth, her most rewarding sales experience has been convincing Cargill to shift their service contract to MH Equipment. She spent countless nights and weekends entering 2 years worth of data and analyzing a cost savings plan resulting in a 28% savings over the last 2 years in equipment and service costs!

Beth has been married to her husband Jeff for 25 years. Together they have 2 sons, Zak who is 23, and Justin who is 20. Zak is an ironworker and has been traveling for the past 2 years to find work in his field. He is currently working in Van Wert, Ohio building power generated windmills. He is a handyman and purchased his first house at age 19, refurbished it, and moved in a year later. Justin just received his Associates Degree as a Network Engineer from Sinclair and will be starting at UC Cincinnati in the Carl Linder business program in January.

Beth says her favorite foods depend on the season. In the summer it’s bruschetta with lots of basil, in the fall, acorn squash filled with baked apples, in the winter, glazed ham and sweet potato casserole, and in the spring it’s salads and fruit. (We are going to need some of those recipes Beth!)In her free time, Beth likes to ride her Honda CBR 600 sport bike. A few times a month she and Jeff also enjoy “date night” by cruising the countryside together on their motorcycles. Evening walks around the lake on their 150 acre family farm with her dogs Nika and Brodie is a relaxing and rejuvenating way to wind down after a long day. Beth also enjoys writing poetry and has built quite a collection over the years!

One person in history Beth would like to have dinner with would be Ben Franklin because he was a statesman, diplomat, an author and inventor. He created the lighting rod, bifocals and Franklin stove among many others. He never patented any of his inventions believing that innovation should be shared freely with others for everyone’s advantage. He had both a comical side and also a clear set of basic principles. Dinner with Ben would be a very energetic with story telling and perhaps a cup of honey mead and a good round of laughter from the others who join in.

Being employed in material handling for 27 years and working at two other forklift dealerships Beth has observed that the companies that excelled where the ones that made a difference with their ethical dealings with both their customers and employees. In the last two decades many of these dealerships have been purchased by either by the manufacturer or an outside company. She has watched these dealerships change. Beth believes John Wieland’s concept of People, Passion, Purpose and how it is passed down through the ranks makes a key difference in setting MH apart from our competition. In keeping with these basic honest principles and being able in sales to communicate this to the customer makes her job both easier and more enjoyable.

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Quad Cities Hi-Lite

October 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Quad Cities branch is one of the three original locations of MH Equipment.  Now located in Davenport, Iowa, their beginnings started in downtown Moline, Illinois, however in 1976, a fire destroyed the Moline location and the branch relocated to East Moline where it remained until June of 2008 when they moved to their current location.

Nearly fifty employees make up the team at the Quad Cities branch including; Material Handling Specialist, Chuck Freeland, Aftermarket Representatives, Bill Baker and Mark Meyer, and Rental Manager, Jacob Greenwalt.  The Davenport branch includes a very large territory that spans over 320 miles from the southern most to northern most corners of the territory so these guys have a lot of land to cover when out on their daily sales calls.  To put it in perspective it would take six hours to drive from corner to corner of the territory!

Part of our mission at MH Equipment is to support the communities in which we live.  As part of that culture the Quad Cities branch are annual supporters of the Quad Cities Festival of Trees.  The Festival of Trees is the annual fundraiser for Quad City Arts, a local not-for-profit arts agency. It takes more than 3,500 volunteers,  over 650 designers, nearly 3,500 CenterStage entertainers, and over 150 Sponsors help to make Festival of  Trees possible. Festival has a $2.5 million dollar economic impact on the community and is recognized as one of the top events in North America, raising over $4 million dollars in support of local arts over a 20 year period. Over 100,000 people experience Festival annually, making it one of the largest attractions in the Quad Cities. This fundraiser makes it possible for Quad City Arts to provide quality arts programming year round for residents of six counties in Eastern Iowa and Western IL.

For the last seven years, Davenport has sponsored Upward Basketball for Underprivileged Kids. Upward Sports provides a fun kids sports experience based on healthy competition.  Upward Sports is one the world’s largest Christian sports league for children with leagues in nearly every major city.

The Quad Cities is home to John Deere Corporate Headquarters, the John Deere Classic at the TPC Deere Run, and the John Deere Commons which houses historical information on the company as well as a vintage 1900’s Deere dealership. Visitors to the Quad Cities also frequent the Rock Island Arsenal. During the civil war, the island was used as a prison camp, but today is utilized for production of military equipment such as the Howitzer & Abrams Tank.

Even though Davenport has a large group they are a very close-knit, supportive bunch!  Not only is the Quad Cities a great branch to work at but the area is full of fun and historic activities that can be enjoyed by the entire family!

Sources:

http://quadcityarts.com/fot_about.asp

http://www.upward.org/

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IT Team Highlight – Meet Steve Dahlhauser!

August 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

We are proud to highlight Steve Dahlhauser who has been with our MH family for the past 14 years! Steve has had a long career with MH Equipment - in fact, this was his first job out of college! As an an important part of our IT team, Steve’s main responsibilities include managing the network and network equipment as well as internet connections and firewalls. Steve also manages our Cisco phone system and works alongside management to conduct research & development to determine what technologies and products we could implement to benefit the company. This means that Steve will likely be the person to assist you should you need help or have issues with network and internet access or have problems with your phone.

As previously mentioned, working for MH was Steve’s first job out of college. He graduated from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa with a degree in Compter Science. Steve is married to his lovely wife Dannelle, who also works for MH Equipment as the General Marketing Manager. Together, Steve and Dannelle have three children: Chester (12), Meadow (5), and Macey (2). As a family, the Dahlhauser’s enjoy sports -particularly Iowa Hawkeye and Miami Dolphins football, going to the Des Moines Blank Park Zoo, and just hanging out with friends and extended family.

Steve, his three brothers, and his dad Gene on fantasy football draft day!

Steve says that the most rewarding aspect of his position, (other than meeting his awesome wife and asking her out on a date) is “when the IT team can implement new technologies that improve the work experience and efficiency of our employees.  I like to think that my most satisfying moment is always somewhere on the horizon as I constantly strive to look for ways to improve myself and the company through knowledge and understanding of technology and how it can be used to positively effect business operations.” Steve likes working for MH, because he enjoys that every day presents a different challenge and because most of the people the IT team works with are kind and friendly and appreciate the help the team provides. He also likes working for a company that is always looking for the next opportunity and not just resting on it’s laurels.

As for hobbies, Steve likes to consider himself a connoisseur of fine beers and has, in fact, tried over 400 different beers from at least 25 different countries! He also likes to golf, although he doesn’t get to play as much as he’d like, and is the commissioner of a fantasy football league that is going on it’s 9th year. Steve says that fantasy football draft day is one of his favorite days next to Christmas and the SuperBowl which his wife thinks is ridiculous!

Please join me in thanking Steve for all his hard work and dedication as a member of our IT team! Remember to enter an IT ticket for all your Internet, network connectivity and Cisco phone issues – and be expecting a phone call or email from Steve in response!

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IT Team Highlight – Meet Brett Stevens!

August 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

A new series on our MH Equipment blog will be to highlight members of our IT team. This week we are highlighting Brett Stevens from our Chillicothe Corporate location.

We are proud to highlight Brett Stevens who has been with our MH family for the past three years. Brett is an important part of our IT team with his main responsibilities being maintenance of our company data center which includes the main file and mail servers, desktop support and asset management, and hardware ordering and research. This means that Brett will likely be the person to assist you should you need help or have issues with computer hardware, need to install additional software, have a new user to set up, or need access to specific files or folders.

Before coming to MH Equipment, Brett worked as a Network Administrator for Devonshire Realty located in Champaign, Illinois until they downsized and he found MH Equipment. (We’re lucky he did!)

Brett says that the most rewarding aspect of his position, is knowing that he is a key part of keeping all our employees up and running and working as efficiently as possible. In addition to the satisfaction he gets from helping others, Brett enjoys working for MH, because he likes working for a company that sincerely cares about their employees. Brett’s servant heart fits right in at MH Equipment!

When he’s not working, Brett likes to spend time with his wife of nine years, Brandy, and their three boys, Brendan (8), Austin (6), and Caleb (3).  Together they love to fish, play sports, and find new ice cream shacks to try. Brett also enjoys volunteering as a coach for the boys’ baseball teams and is the Cub Master for his son Brendan’s cub scout pack.

When asked what person in history he would like to have dinner with (it will most likely be anything Mexican or Italian because those are his favorite!), Brett responded “Bill Gates – So I could ask him why he had to release Windows ME!”

And finally – one unique thing that most people don’t know about Brett is that he is actually an officiator at Jr high, high school, and small college level football and basketball games. (Wow! He’s a busy guy!)

Please join me in thanking Brett for all his hard work and dedication as a member of our IT team! Remember to enter an IT ticket for all your hardware, software, and server needs – and be expecting a phone call or email from Brett in response!

 Please “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn, or check out our
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