MHEDA WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

MHEDA welcomes new Distributor members Helmar, Inc. of Chestnut Ridge, NY, and SuperTech, Inc. of Fayetteville, GA and new Supplier/Associate members Daewoo Heavy Industries America of Warrensville Heights, OH, and Dane Industries of Plymouth, MN.

BREAKING NEWS

Jim Bowes Reflects on Past Year

2003 MHEDA President James Bowes, president of Peach State Integrated Technologies, passed the reins to President-Elect Loren Swakow, vice president, Scott Lift Truck, at Officer's Day December 3.

2003 MHEDA President Jim Bowes, president of Peach State Integrated Technologies (Norcross, GA), and Loren Swakow, MHEDA President-Elect and vice president of Scott Lift Truck (Elk Grove Village, IL), met at the MHEDA office on Wednesday, December 3 for Officer's Day. The purpose of this meeting was to prepare for a smooth transition as the incoming president assumes office on January 1, 2004.

Reflecting on his term of office, Bowes stated, "Our association is financially and organizationally strong. In 2003, our focus was to provide programs and services that benefited our members during a difficult economic environment. For instance, a number of programs and services were offered to members free of charge, including sales-focused webinars presented by Joe Ellers. We also launched our MHEDA-NET program, whereby our members can network and learn from each other on a regular basis.

"The strategic planning process that's in place at MHEDA ensures and promotes organizational excellence. One of my goals this year," according to Bowes, "was to ensure that the appropriate processes and templates were in place moving forward." The board and staff work in concert with one another to achieve association and committee goals. "This process establishes consistency and continuity from year to year, given the changing complexion of the board and its officers."

Bowes will continue to serve on MHEDA's Executive Committee as Immediate Past President in 2004.

Board Prepares for Changes

MHEDA thanks Tim Hilton, Warren Gandall and Steve Lippert for their many years of creative and dedicated service to the association and its members. Hilton and Gandall's terms on the MHEDA Board of Directors come to an end on December 31, the same day Lippert's time on the Manufacturers Board of Advisors expires. Hilton, CEO of Carolina Handling (Charlotte, NC), served nine years on the board and was MHEDA president in 2000. Gandall, president of Cisco-Eagle Inc. (Tulsa, OK), served as director for four years. Lippert is executive vice president of Hamilton Caster & Mfg. Co. (Hamilton, OH) and served as a founding member of the MBOA.

2004 Directory in the Mail

Members should receive their complimentary copy of the 2004 Membership Directory within the next week. Additional copies are available upon request by contacting the MHEDA office at connect@mheda.org.

LIFT TRUCK SPECIFIC SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

FROM TECHNOLOGICAL TO ALL-ROUND SOLUTIONS

INDUSTRY BEAT
(what people are talking about)

(l-r) Lifetime Achievement Award winner Grady Smith, wife Linda, son Buddy and Nissan Forklift President Mark Akabori

Smith and Batte Honored by Nissan Forklift (Marengo, IL) • Grady Smith, president of Carolina Material Handling Services (Columbia, SC), became only the second dealer in Nissan Forklift history to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the company in a ceremony on November 25. Nissan Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chuck Leone made the surprise announcement before an audience of dealer representatives from all over North America. Leone was joined in the presentation by Mark Akabori, Nissan Forklift's president. The only previous recipient of this honor was Bob Krueger of New England Industrial Truck in 1998.

Eddie Batte (left) receives Pinnacle Emeritus Award from Nissan Forklift President Mark Akabori.

"To be recognized in the same group as Bob Krueger is a real honor for me," Smith says. "It's one of those things that you don't really expect and I was very surprised and awed by it when it happened." Smith has been a Nissan Forklift dealer for 35 years and has twice served as president of the Dealer Council. He also served on MHEDA's Board of Directors.

At the same event, Eddie Batte, sales manager of Equipment, Inc. (Jackson, MS), also earned recognition. Batte was one of two recipients of a Pinnacle Emeritus Award, given to individuals in management positions who have made significant sales contributions to their dealerships and to Nissan Forklift.

Saint-Gobain Names New COO (France) • At the November 20 meeting of its Board of Directors, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain appointed Christian Streiff as Chief Operating Officer, replacing Gianpaolo Caccini upon his retirement on April 1, 2004

WHERE IDEAS SOLVE SPECIAL PROBLEMS

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

FORWARD THINKING DESIGN DELIVERS FORWARD PERFORMING EQUIPMENT

SALES SUCCESS STORY

Hoj Provides Necessary Storage...Stat!

Equipto’s mobile aisle storage system solves space problem for hospital.

As hospitals all over the country attempt to control costs and do more with less, the University of Utah Hospital’s Surgical Processing department was running out of space for storage of surgical kits and supplies. The facility director of the hospital knew from past experience that Hoj Engineering & Sales Co. (Salt Lake City, UT) would provide the solution they were looking for. Tim Hoj, sales manager, and Equipto’s Kevin Wolf, regional director of sales, had previously installed a total of six mobile aisle storage systems for maintenance and parts storage, and operating room staging kit storage in various hospital locations. The completion of a $33,000 system in August 2002 has facilitated more efficient storage. The two Mobile Aisle storage systems provide the Surgical Processing department with a system that integrates shelving, modular drawers and solid/wire shelving and addresses a variety of storage needs.

Hoj comments, “As a growing hospital, they’re just out of room. Now the hospital can store more SKUs utilizing no additional floor space.” The design, which includes wire shelving that prevents dust from settling, was the perfect fix to a high-profile challenge. Best of all, Hoj Engineering & Sales looks forward to maintaining a very healthy relationship with the University of Utah Hospital.

DEALER BUSINESS SYSTEM SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

Visit Our New Website!

MHEDA EDUCATION

Employee Development Teleconference
January 20
Start the new year off right and register now for "Becoming an Employer of Choice," taking place via teleconference at noon ET on January 20. The first 10 companies to register will receive a free copy of the book, How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer. Topics of discussion in this teleconference include: Building and sustaining a positive culture for employees, managing employee performance, designing a competitive compensation and benefits package, recognizing and rewarding employees, and developing employees for long-term success. Registration is $99 per company location. For more details or to register, call MHEDA at 847-680-3500.

Revamped Sales Training Camp
March 10-12
MHEDA's Education Committee and Don Buttrey have partnered together and revised the Sales Boot Camp into a new and improved program for 2004. The name has changed to "The Material Handling Sales Professional: Intensive Training Camp" to better reflect the program being designed for both new and veteran sales people. The program has also been streamlined into a one-time, three-day program (versus a two-part, five-day program). Also, the price has been reduced to $995 per person (a 33% savings over the previous registration fee). The event will take place March 10-12 in downtown Dayton, OH. Register yourself or your sales team and learn the selling fundamentals every sales professional should master. Topics include relationship building, pre-call planning, the "5 A's Selling Process" and the power of non-verbal communication. Call MHEDA at 847-680-3500 for more details or to register.

MHEDA NEWS

Reserve Your Booth for Convention! • Have you reserved your booth for MHEDA's Exhibitors' Showcase taking place during the Annual Convention? Mark your calendar for May 3, 2004 and plan on participating in this important material handling industry event. The Exhibitors' Showcase is part of the Manufacturer-Distributor Relationship Forum, taking place on Monday of the Convention from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. More details and a floor plan are available by clicking here. Over 25% of the booths already have been reserved, so don't delay any longer! Call MHEDA at 847-680-3500.

Celebrate First Flight by Booking Airfare • It was 100 years ago this week (December 17) that Orville Wright flew for 12 seconds and 120 feet on the sands of Kitty Hawk, NC. Kick off the second century of manned flight and be among the first MHEDA members to book a flight to the 49th Annual Convention and Exhibitors' Showcase in Miami Beach, FL. The closest airports are Miami (25 minutes) and Fort Lauderdale (35 minutes). For premium airfare information, click here.

Start the New Year with a New Perspective. Introducing MHEDA-NET!
MHEDA is organizing distributor discussion groups whereby members can regularly meet via teleconference with like members from non-competing markets to discuss relevant topics, analyze industry benchmarks, provide insights and counsel each other. Each group of 6-10 members provides a real opportunity for members to learn from other members. MHEDA-NET will help distributors build better businesses and lasting industry relationships. This is a distributor membership benefit so there is no cost to join a group.

Groups can be formed for specific areas of your business, such as parts managers' group, project managers' group, service managers' group, etc. Each MHEDA-NET group sets its own agenda and MHEDA staff will coordinate the conference call.

If you would like to join a group, please call Evelyn at the MHEDA office at 847-680-3500 or e-mail emcwilliams@mheda.org.

A new year, a new start, a new perspective.
MHEDA-NET is Members Learning from Other Members!

Material Handling Awareness • Material handling equipment is becoming quite prevalent in the media, with forklifts, racking and conveyor systems making appearances in television programs, commercials, films and advertisements. We want to know the stories behind these appearances! If you happen to see any material handling equipment in the media, let us know when and where by clicking the television screen at right or at any time by clicking Submit A News Item on any issue of The MHEDA Connection.

The astute eye of Rapid Rack Industries' Jim Carder saw boltless shelving in the scenes of Cold Case, a CBS Sunday night program. It also appears in a Toys R Us commercial and in scenes from CSI.

A Holiday Message • During the Holiday Season, we gratefully turn our thoughts to our members who make MHEDA possible. In this spirit, the MHEDA Board of Directors and staff say thank you and best wishes for a beautiful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!