by Jason Johnson, on Apr 14, 2023 11:30:00 AM
TAMPA—(March 10, 2023)--Earlier this year, Southern States Toyotalift (SST), was recognized for earning the Most Valuable Partner (MVP) award. The MVP award honored SST for its sustained excellence in business practices and end-user services. This marks the second time that SST has received this honor.
The Most Valuable Partner (MVP) award is an honorarium bestowed by the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA). MHEDA is a non-profit trade organization that has supported the material handling industry for over 65 years. Their MVP award recognizes material handling equipment distributors who have provided superior industry service and community improvement. Read on to learn more about MHEDA, the MVP award, and Southern States Toyotalift’s commitment to excellence.
About the MHEDA
The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association was established on October 10, 1954, in the Morrison Hotel in Chicago. Led by a team of volunteer directors, they have since grown into a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization representing over 600 member businesses and, by extension, thousands of career material handling professionals across North America. The organization is guided by its mission "to enhance each member's success through superior programming in the area of benchmarking, networking, and education." To that end, they created the Most Valuable Partner award over a decade ago to recognize outstanding member distributors' continued commitment to the industry and their customers.
About the Most Valuable Partner Award
The MVP award is bestowed each year on a variable number of MHEDA member organizations that have demonstrated business excellence over the previous year. The award recognizes excellence in the areas of customer service, supplier relationships, employee training, and community involvement. As such, MHEDA requires eligible organizations to submit documentation attesting to their superior performance. This documentation includes letters of recommendation from the distributor's customers and suppliers. Entrants must also demonstrate their commitment to continuing education with enrollment in MHEDA's Learning Management System and Communications programs. They must also provide evidence of merit in industry advocacy, customer service and safety, business networking, and industry best practices. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, awardees must participate in MHEDA's Give Back program by performing company-wide acts of community service.
About Southern States Toyotalift
Founded in 1952, Southern States Toyotalift has spent the last 70 years improving its support of the end-user. This customer-centric mindset eventually evolved into the solutions-focused business model they exemplify today. By focusing on solutions rather than sales, they can provide an exceptionally high standard of customer service. This industry-leading support includes over 100 forklift road mechanics, guaranteed uptime with their service plans, a rental fleet with over 900 forklifts, safety training programs, and a wide range of intralogistics solutions.
However, SST’s focus on customer service excellence is only one aspect of their award-winning business. They also provide ongoing community support through a diverse range of programs. These include blood donation drives every other month, supply drives for Joshua House, food and toy drives, and the Skillbridge program. This program provides work experience and training opportunities for service members prior to release from active duty.
If you would like to learn more about Southern States Toyotalift and their solutions, reach out online or visit one of their locations throughout Georgia and Florida.
Florida
Jacksonville
Lakeland
Ocala
Orlando
Tampa
Winter Haven
Georgia
Albany
Macon
Columbus
Valdosta
Further Reading
5 Secrets Other Material Handling Service Providers Don’t Want You To Know
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