Toyota Material Handling USA Inc (TMHU) said its forklifts again ranked first in quality and value on the basis of a sponsored question in an independent Reed Research Group survey.

In a statement, Shankar Basu, president and CEO of Irvine-based TMHU, said: "This type of recognition underscores the focus Toyota has always put on quality."

The survey consolidated results anonymously on the basis of input from October 3 to October 27 from 435 eligible industry respondents who are qualified buyers of materials handling equipment, products, technologies and services.

Rhonda McGee, Reed director of research, said: "Toyota was one of two" companies sponsoring proprietary questions as part of the survey. TMHU was the only firm in the forklift manufacturing category with a sponsored question.

Responses to sponsored questions in similar 2005 and 2004 Reed surveys also named TMHU as number one in the forklift perception categories for quality and value (Forkliftaction.com News #254).

The research was conducted under the auspices of Reed Business Information US, of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, a division of Reed Elsevier Group plc and publisher of Modern Materials Handling magazine. An unaffiliated firm, Research Results Inc, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA, independently tabulated the results.

A majority of the forklifts TMHU sells in the United States are manufactured at Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing's Columbus, Indiana, plant. Globally in 2006, Toyota's materials handling business had its best year, selling more than 190,000 units.