05.04.2022

Hugg & Hall acquires Southern Material Handling

Sales and rental company Hugg & Hall Equipment of Little Rock, Arkansas, has acquired forklift dealer Southern Material Handling of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Established in 1948 Southern sells and rents Toyota forklifts in eastern Oklahoma from two locations - Tulsa and Muskogee to the south east of Tulsa.

Hugg & Hall is also a Toyota dealer, but a significant part of its business comes from aerial lifts and telehandlers. Its 12,000 unit rental fleet includes booms and scissor lifts, mostly from JLG and Genie, however its sales department also offers Skyjack and Hy-brid lifts. When it comes to telehandlers it also offers Manitou in addition to JLG/Skytrak, Genie and Skyjack.

Over the past two decades or so the company has steadily expanded via acquisition and boasts a network of 17 locations, seven in Arkansas, eight in Louisiana, and two in Oklahoma. The Southern Material Handling deal would take it to 19, although it is already in Tulsa.

Southern’s owner and chief executive Mark Segress said: “When I made the decision to retire, I knew that I would only consider selling to Hugg & Hall Equipment. I have known John Hugg and Robert Hall for many years and have a great deal of respect for them as individuals and business owners. Their team has built Hugg & Hall into one of the largest and most successful dealerships in the country. I’m excited for our team to join Hugg & Hall and grow in their careers. I know our customers will continue to receive the very best service available. They will have the opportunity to learn about the vast array of products offered by Hugg & Hall to improve their material handling efficiencies.”

Robert Hall of Hugg & Hall added: “We are very excited to add eastern Oklahoma to our Toyota territory. Southern Material Handling has had an excellent reputation for many years. We will continue that passion for an unequalled customer experience. The addition of more products and services that we offer will add value to our customers, making them even more competitive in their specific industry.”

Hugg & Hall Equipment Company was originally established as Lift Truck Sales & Service Corporation in 1956 to distribute Clark forklifts in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1960, the company changed its name to Clarklift of Arkansas and in 1970 was acquired by Charles Hugg. In 1990 John Hugg and Robert Hall bought Clarklift of Arkansas from Charles, with Clarklift acquiring the business in 1995, and changing the name to Hugg & Hall Equipment. The company has represented the Toyota brand since 1994, with the Southern Material Handling acquisition, Hugg & Hall will have a team of over 700 employees across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas.