The Raymond Corporation proudly announces Dave Micha, a welder at Raymond, has won gold in the international Toyota Material Handling Group (TMHG) Skills Competition, beating competitors from China, France, Italy, and Sweden, as well as additional U.S. participants.

Micha’s win is a testament to Raymond’s century-long reputation of dedication to innovation, quality, and service. The end-to-end solutions provider maintains a constant focus on delivering the utmost quality and works for continuous improvement in every aspect of its business.

“The Raymond Corporation heartily congratulates Dave Micha on this high achievement. The passion and dedication our welders like Dave Micha bring to the craft is inspiring and is a testament to the best-in-quality forklifts we build at Raymond,” said Tony Topencik, vice president of operations, quality, and environmental health and safety at The Raymond Corporation. “For an industry that touches almost everything, there will always be a need for skilled workers who provide essential services to help keep the supply chain moving. Our skilled team members are a major part of what has helped Raymond be a leader in the material handling industry for the past 100 years.”

The competition consisted of welding a steel pressure vessel, which required performing tack welding, executing semiautomatic welding, and finishing of the vessel’s surface.

“It was an honor to represent Raymond in the competition and secure this win,” Micha said. “I’m proud to work for a company that prioritizes quality and values the skilled trades such as welding.”

Raymond’s internal welding competition began in 2015, with the goal of helping promote friendly competition and enhancing skills and knowledge among its welding teams. Since then, Raymond welders have earned invitations to compete in the TMHG Skills Competition.

“Customer safety and product quality are absolutely essential elements in the products produced by Toyota Material Handling Group,” said Haruhiko Kimata, executive officer of Toyota Industries Corporation and chief supply officer and Takahama plant manager at Toyota Material Handling Group. “The skills of welders, who are directly involved in the production, play a decisive role in product quality. I would like to express my great respect for Raymond’s welders who have consistently been top performers in the TMHG Skills Competition and its mission to improve the skills and motivation of welders.”