Toyota Material Handling North America President & CEO (TMHNA) Brett Wood remains at the forefront of the material handling industry as the second individual in the 70-year history of the Industrial Truck Association (ITA) to be elected twice as Chair of the Board of Directors, effective January 1.
Wood has served in various roles during his three decades with the ITA. During his first term as ITA chairman from 2015 to 2018, Wood was pivotal in establishing the ITA’s economic impact report Lifting America: The Economic Impact of Industrial Truck Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers. This marked a significant milestone as the first-ever initiative to quantify material handling statistics that provide invaluable insights to the industry.
“I am honored to serve as a champion for the ITA, to drive positive change and promote the impact of the powered industrial truck industry,” said Wood, who also serves as a Senior Executive Officer for TMHNA’s parent company – Toyota Industries Corporation. “The ITA serves as an invaluable resource to its members, creating industry-wide initiatives and driving positive change for the collective whole and all who work closely with powered industrial trucks.”
As chair, Wood collaborates with the executive board to determine ITA’s strategy, communicates the association’s position on industry issues and drives industry-wide initiatives, and promotes the positive impact the powered industrial truck industry has on the global supply chain. By embodying Toyota’s culture of Kaizen – or continuous improvement – and upholding Toyota’s core values, Wood’s leadership is integral in advancing and promoting the vital role industrial trucks play in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and distribution.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brett as the Chair of the ITA’s Board of Directors,” said Brian Feehan, President of ITA. “His leadership and deep industry expertise will be invaluable assets as we continue to drive member value and raise awareness on safety.”
Wood championed the founding of National Forklift Safety Day, an annual event dedicated to reinforcing safety protocols and practices among forklift manufacturers. The 11th National Forklift Safety Day will be held on June 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C. This initiative continues to serve as a testament to Wood’s commitment to prioritizing operator safety and promoting safety standards.
Learn more about Wood and his dedication to the material handling industry at ToyotaForklift.com.
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About Toyota Material Handling
Toyota Material Handling offers material handling products and solutions, including forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, pallet jacks, container handlers, automated guided vehicles, and tow tractors, along with aerial work platforms, fleet management services, and advanced automation engineering and design. Toyota’s commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction, the hallmark of the Toyota Production System, extends throughout more than 230 locations across North America. With access to an industry-leading lineup of material handling products, Toyota dealers are uniquely positioned to help solve wide-ranging challenges in warehousing and distribution. Built for every application, Toyota can provide the most complete set of solutions for material handling, automation, energy, advanced logistics, and warehouse optimization. For more information or to learn more, visit ToyotaForklift.com.
About ITA
For more than 70 years, the Industrial Truck Association has been the leading organization of industrial truck manufacturers and suppliers of component parts and accessories that conduct business in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Based in Washington, D.C., ITA maintains an influential voice in international standards development for the industry. The organization also advances engineering practices to promote safe products, disseminates statistical marketplace information, and provides industry forums for learning and networking. Visit www.indtrk.org.
