An international trade association is adopting MHI as its new name and retiring the longtime identity Material Handling Industry of America.

As approved by the board of governors and incorporated in a new logo, the full registered name is MHI ― The Industry That Makes the Supply Chain Work.

"The decision to become MHI was made to better serve the changing needs of our members and our industry," says George W Prest, chief executive officer of Charlotte-based MHI. "People in our industry, both members and end-users, have an expanded role beyond materials handling to the overall supply chain. As these roles changed, we saw the need to evolve our association to reflect what's happening in today's supply chain. The new MHI will be more relevant to professionals in manufacturing and the supply chain as well as offer solutions and content to meet their needs."

MHI aims to showcase its member companies, emphasise solutions for the supply chain and provide end-users with enhanced content incorporating materials handling, manufacturing, distribution, logistics and transportation. The association is transitioning to a new www.mhi.org website address.

"We took a very strategic approach to this process," says Larry Strayhorn, MHI executive chairman. "For several years, the board of governors and staff explored the concept of broadening our focus beyond the four walls of a facility, but we had to make sure that this would fulfill a need and was the right thing for our members and the industry as a whole. The (February 2012) Modex expo was the first step in this process, and newly branded MHI is the next step forward."

MHI is introducing a new information resource for the manufacturing and supply chain communities. The resource, known as MHI Solutions, starts this month and will include a quarterly print publication, a monthly electronic newsletter and a weekly electronic news update.

MHI will continue sponsorship of the ProMat and Modex trade events and provide support to the product-specific MHI industry groups.

MHI will show its new logo during ProMat 2013 taking place on 21-24 January in Chicago. The next Modex event will occur on 17-20 March 2014 in Atlanta.

The association was founded in 1945 and has members with interests in materials handling, logistics and supply chain equipment along with systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers and third-party logistics providers.