In memorium:
Industry leader Thomas J. Mitchell president, partner and general manager for Toyota Materials Handling (TMH) died Wednesday, February 6th. He was 71.
Mr. Mitchell was born in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., on August 22, 1941. In 1965, he married Agnes Rebecca (Becky) Solarczyk and had one son, Mark. Tom attended St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia, Penn., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
He then served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years and was honorably discharged. He worked for the Chrysler Corporation from 1965 to 1976, followed by Yale Materials Handling Corporation from 1976 to 1983. Then, he began working as the general manager of the Yale dealership in Birmingham, Ala. In 1984, he acquired the assets of that company and formed Yale Materials Handling Alabama, Inc. He sold the dealership in 1993.
In 1994, Tom and a partner formed Toyota Materials Handling (TMH) to fill the Toyota Industrial Equipment open territory in Alabama and the western Florida panhandle. TMH was appointed a Toyota dealership in 1995, with Tom as partner and general manager. The dealership has been a valued representative for Toyota for more than 17 years and earned Toyota’s highest honor, the 2006 President’s Award. In January 2013, Mark Mitchell took over as partner and general manager.
Tom is survived by his wife, his son Mark and daughter-in-law, Jennifer, as well as a grandson.
The family has requested flowers not be sent. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
