Burns Industrial Equipment has acquired Ohio Materials Handling (OMH), intending to enhance Hyster and Yale coverage for forklift customers in a portion of Ohio. Terms were not disclosed.

As announced on 1 October, OMH of Macedonia, Ohio near Cleveland is now part of the Burns Industrial Equipment group of companies. Jim Orenga, OMH president, will continue in his role to oversee operations.

OMH was established in 1976.

Burns is based in Monroeville near Pittsburgh and, prior to the transaction, had four branches serving parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Kentucky.

"By combining OMH with the expertise and resources of Burns Industrial Equipment, our customers can expect an even higher level of service and support," says Orenga.

"More than 40 years ago, Burns Industrial Equipment was founded on the premise of providing the highest quality products supported by unparalleled service," says Christopher J Burns, president. Joseph S Burns founded the business in 1972.

"We’re now continuing that tradition, building upon OMH’s 35-year history of excellence to become the premier materials handling company in north-east Ohio," Chris Burns notes. Burns is an authorised dealer for the Hyster, Yale, Taylor-Dunn and Combilift brands.

Hyster and Yale have principal operations in Greenville, North Carolina and are brands of the Nacco Materials Handling Group Inc, a subsidiary of publicly traded Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc. Burns is a Yale gold service authorised dealer, notes Bill Pfleger, president of Yale distribution.

Burns Industrial Equipment was involved in an August 2011 transaction involving the Nacco brands.

MH Logistics Corp and Yale Industrial Trucks-Pittsburgh Inc trading as Burns Industrial Equipment acquired territories from each other. MH Logistics, doing business as MH Equipment Co, acquired Cincinnati, Ohio-based territory that enabled MH to offer both Hyster and Yale forklifts as a dual-brand dealership in select Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky counties. Burns Industrial Equipment acquired Hyster territory based in Twinsburg, Ohio for 13 counties surrounding the Cleveland metropolitan area and extending about 60 m. (96km) to the south.