The Howard Bernstein materials handling industrial distribution scholarship program will award a minimum of five USD5,000 scholarships for five years to at least five students.

Bernstein of Highland Park established the scholarship program in late 2011 with a donation of USD150,000, and he launched the implementation phase with an August 29 announcement.

Bernstein is seeking to help promote aspects of the materials handling industry to college students who are majoring in industrial distribution.

He hopes to grow the program with the contributions from other materials handling companies wanting to build relationships with schools offering industrial distribution curricula. Bronze, silver, gold and elite are levels of sponsorship for the program.

The industry veteran says: "The objective is to greatly reduce the time consuming process and expense to find the right people for the job. These students have invested several years at great expense to dedicate their future to distribution and come 'ready to go' with fresh ideas."

Bernstein started his materials handling business, originally Atlas Lift Truck Rentals & Sales Inc, in 1951 and, over six decades, expanded his enterprise to include seven companies that offer materials handling products and services. Based in Schiller Park, Illinois, Atlas represents Toyota lift trucks, Bobcat skid steer loaders and Big Joe electric walkies and stackers. An Atlas international division is a major wholesaler of used lift trucks in North America.

Bernstein served as the 1965 president of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association and is now retired.

Individuals may contact Donna Varner at 1-704-676-1190 or dvarner@mhia.org for further information about the Bernstein scholarship program. Verner is administrator of the independent non-profit Material Handling Education Foundation Inc, which was established in 1976 to encourage and support the study of materials handling, supply chain and logistics. Private and corporate donations provide the funding.