Material Handling Resources Opens Facility in La Vergne Following March Tornado

Material Handling Resources (MHR), one of the country’s top material handling distributors, will open its new facility in La Vergne, Tenn., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, following the destruction of its original building during the Nashville tornado last March. Owned by parent company GEODIS, a leading global supply chain operator with its U.S. headquarters based in Brentwood, Tenn., MHR is a full-service material handling company that supports GEODIS’ expansive network as well as a base of Middle Tennessee customers.

MHR offers the sale, service, rental and parts for a wide variety of material handling equipment. Specializing in forklifts, MHR also features expertise in pallet racking systems, conveyors, mezzanines, dock equipment, and other products and services needed to support warehousing operations. Previously an arm of Ozburn-Hessey Logistics (OHL) dating back to 1997, GEODIS took ownership of MHR when it acquired OHL in 2015. Today, MHR supports material handling needs for all of GEODIS’ 150 warehouses across the U.S. and Canada totaling 150 million square feet. Additionally, MHR services more than 500 local customers.

“When the tornado hit our city last spring, our original facility in Cockrill Bend Industrial Park was one of the first that was destroyed,” said Ric Thurston, MHR Director. “While we are fortunate all our teammates remained safe, our building was unsalvageable. In just 11 months, I am proud to say we have completed new construction on an upgraded facility that will make our operations even more efficient so we can continue providing outstanding service to our customers.”

Among the upgrades, the new MHR facility will feature a redesigned layout to improve operations as well as include an expansive showroom displaying available equipment for customers, a state-of-the-art wash bay and additional technical capabilities. With more than 50 full-time employees across the U.S., the new La Vergne building will be home to MHR’s more than 30 on-site Middle Tennessee employees.

“We could not be more excited for the grand opening of the new MHR location in La Vergne,” said Eric Douglas, GEODIS Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “While 2020 was certainly a challenging year, we are looking forward to the future and partnering with our customers across Middle Tennessee and beyond. We are confident the added technical capabilities and showroom in our new location will best serve our customers and GEODIS well into the future.”

The new MHR facility, located at 261 Mason Road in La Vergne, Tenn., will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. To learn more about MHR, visit mhrweb.com. To learn more about GEODIS, visit geodis.com.