Systems Material Handling (SMH), the US branch of TVH-Group Thermote & Vanhalst, has improved its service with the addition of two distribution centres in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Duncan, South Carolina.

SMH chief executive officer Els Thermote tells Forkliftaction.com News that expanding the forklift parts company's distribution network enables customers to benefit from more next-day ground delivery points.

"[This] reduces the [customers'] burden to maintain high inventory levels [and] provides a wider selection of products optimally spaced throughout the country."

SMH now has five distribution points in the US covering more than 700,000 sq ft (65,032m²) and stocking more than 180,000 SKUs. They include the Olathe, Kansas, headquarters, which also serves as a manufacturing, assembly and kitting facility. Other warehouses are in Grayslake, Illinois, and Mira Loma, California.

Els Thermote, daughter of TVH co-founder Paul Thermote, moved to the US in 2003 when SMH and TVH merged (Forkliftaction.com News #102). As CEO of SMH, she is responsible for all the Americas and regularly visits the company's branches and warehouses in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil.

In 2003, SMH had about 250 employees. With the expansion of its distribution network, acquisition of IMH Holdings in 2006 (Forkliftaction.com News #275) and increased market share, SMH now employs more than 700 people in 10 locations in North and South America.