One of Torrance Equipment's facilities

MH Equipment, based in Peoria, Illinois, has assumed responsibility for Yale brand forklifts in Iowa and north western parts of Illinois from Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Torrance Equipment. The acquisition means MH Equipment now represents both the Hyster and Yale brands in the Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Mason City, and Quad Cities markets.

"Torrance, under Steve Gallagher's leadership, has been a successful Yale dealership for more than 20 years and has built a large and loyal customer base by providing integrity, outstanding value and unique solutions, which aligns well with MH Equipment," says John Wieland, CEO of MH Equipment. "(This) acquisition allows us to expand our dealership and product offering while developing new customer relationships within the Iowa and north western Illinois market."

In the transaction, MH is buying all the assets of Torrance and will become the Yale dealer for the territory. Joining MH Equipment will be more than 90 employees of Torrance, including almost 50 technicians. This acquisition puts MH Equipment at over 900 employees and almost 500 technicians, making them the largest Hyster and/or Yale dealer, in terms of technicians, in America.

MH began in Peoria in 1952 as a small forklift dealership, but has grown to become one of the largest and fastest-growing full-service materials handling providers in the United States. Since 1994, MH has grown organically and through acquisitions from a small company of 50 employees and three locations into an organisation composed of multiple dealerships with over 800 employees and 27 servicing locations throughout the Midwest.