MH Logistics Corp and Yale Industrial Trucks-Pittsburgh Inc have acquired territories from each other to pursue what each dealership sees as a growth opportunity.

The non-real estate business transactions involve the equipment brands of Nacco Material Handling Group Inc (NMHG). Terms were not disclosed.

MH Logistics, doing business as MH Equipment Co, acquired Cincinnati, Ohio-based territory that enables MH to offer both Hyster and Yale forklifts as a dual-brand dealership in select Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky counties.

Yale Industrial Trucks-Pittsburgh, trading as Burns Industrial Equipment, acquired Hyster territory based in Twinsburg, Ohio for 13 counties surrounding the Cleveland metropolitan area and extending about 60 miles (96km) to the south.

John Wieland, MH chief executive officer, says: "MH Equipment is excited to expand our dealership while developing new customer relationships within our new territory. . . . We look forward to showing our new customers and employees that people matter, passion inspires and purpose unites." That is the MH motto.

Chillicothe-based MH employs more than 600 staff and has operations in six Illinois locations; five in Iowa; four in Kentucky; three in Ohio; two each in Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska; and one each in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

MH has gained traction in the broad Cincinnati territory, which management views as a strategic opportunity for growth and investment in an important market.

MH had 2010 sales of USD125 million and projects that 2011 sales will exceed USD150 million. Brands include Hyster, Yale, Genie aerial lifts, V Mariotti three-wheel forklifts, Rico specialty lifts and JCB construction equipment.

Chris Burns, owner and dealer principal of Burns Industrial Equipment, comments: "We are delighted to expand our lift truck footprint to represent the Hyster brand in north eastern Ohio. . . . Becoming an authorized Hyster dealer allows us the opportunity to bring our unique customer satisfaction approach to the Cleveland market as we have done in Pittsburgh" and western Pennsylvania since 1972.

The Burns Industrial Equipment organisation viewed the Cleveland market as a synergistic addition to its other operations.

Ohio counties in Burns' new Ohio territory includes Ashland, Carroll, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Wayne.

Monroeville-based Burns Industrial Equipment has operations in St Albans, West Virginia and Swanton, Maryland in addition to Twinsburg and employs more than 100 people.

In addition to the Yale and Hyster brands, the Burns organisation represents Taylor industrial lifts and Combilift multi-directional equipment.

On the employment front, MH hired 19 staff previously with Burns in Cincinnati, and Burns hired 28 workers previously with MH in Twinsburg.

"Both companies wanted to make sure that all employees kept their seniority and current pay wage," Wieland says. "Both companies feel that employees are our most important asset and we need to treat them as such especially when you have a transaction like this where both companies were making a long-term business decision and not because of the employees' efforts."

The two firms completed the transactions on 1 August.

Separately, on 1 January, MH Equipment acquired assets and assumed responsibility for the Yale brand in the St. Louis, Missouri market. The seller, Springfield, Missouri-based Gammon Equipment Co Inc, continues with operations in six Missouri and Arkansas locations.

MH added to its Hyster territory in acquiring a majority of the assets of Shipping Utilities Inc of St Louis, Missouri in October. Also in 2010, MH made August acquisitions from independent dealers Genesis Industrial Service in Indianapolis, Indiana and Tri-State Lift Trucks in Sioux City, Iowa.

Seven people own MH Logistics. Wieland is the majority owner.

NMHG is moving toward selective geographic dealership consolidations in North America for its Hyster and Yale brands. NMHG, a unit of Cleveland-based Nacco Industries Inc, has North American production capabilities in Greenville, North Carolina and Berea, Kentucky.