Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing and Toyota Material Handling USA have announced plans to integrate into a single business unit by January 2020. The new company will be called Toyota Material Handling, Inc. The announcement was made Wednesday, January 9th during a company-wide meeting in Columbus, Ind.

Company officials said the business will remain in Columbus and report directly to Toyota Material Handling North America. President and CEO Jeff Rufener and Senior Vice President Tony Miller will lead Toyota Material Handling, Inc.

“Our goal is to have a stronger, more unified, corporate culture around our material handling business,” said Brett Wood, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America. “As one company, we will be more efficient and more responsive to our associates, suppliers, dealers and customers.

Integrating the two business units is the next step in a process that started in 2014 when Toyota Material Handling USA completed a three-year relocation of its headquarters from California to Indiana, company officials said.

“We successfully combined our service parts business in 2017, and as we considered other synergy opportunities, it became clear that a complete consolidation of the companies was our best next step,” Rufener said. “Integrating our teams will improve the flow of information to and from our customers, so we can deliver exactly what they need when they need it.”