Systems Integrator Advances On Trust And Faith

The First Quarter 2011 issue of The MHEDA Journal (http://www.TheMhedaJournal.org), the leading online magazine for the forklift, conveyor, storage & handling, and general material handling equipment industries, was mailed to subscribers on January 31. This issue spotlights AHS Inc., an engineered systems equipment distributor in Cincinnati, Ohio. AHS President Chuck Frank is the 2011 president of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA).

Formerly known as Advanced Handling Systems Inc., the company was formed in 1971 by material handling industry leader Gary Thompson as part of OKI Systems. In 1973, Thompson hired Charlie Frank to help grow the engineered systems side of the business. Charlie's son, Chuck, bought the company with two partners in 2004 and carries on the legacy left by his father. "I learned to treat employees as I want to be treated. Seeing that philosophy right from the start has been extremely helpful," he says.  Adhering to that philosophy has helped AHS grow to become a full-service material handling house. "We used to be a traditional conveyor company, but we've had to really transform our business and get into other products such as racking, shelving, in-plant offices and the whole storage & handling side of the business," Frank adds.

For this profile, Frank was interviewed by Jack Phelan, president of TriFactor Distribution Solutions in Lakeland, Florida. Phelan, who started in the business working for Charlie Frank, spoke with Chuck about growing up in the industry, working in a family business, strategic planning, mission statements, strategic company goals, surviving a down economy and more. In describing AHS's future, Frank says, "We're going to be a stronger, better company coming out of the downturn, provided we stay focused on the most important thing, which is the customer. We'll concentrate on being lean and mean because you never know when the next downturn might occur and we want to be well-positioned for it."

Read the full article, titled "Advancing on Trust and Faith" in the First Quarter 2011 issue of The MHEDA Journal at http://www.themhedajournal.org/index.php/2011/01/advancing-on-trust-and-faith/. The MHEDA Journal is published quarterly, in January, April, July and October. For more information, contact Chris Powers, editor of The MHEDA Journal, (315) 445-2347, e-mail: chris@datakey.org.