Tinnacity Summit Tour 2026: Climbing Mountains with Material Handling Leaders

🏍️ The Tinnacity Summit Tour 2026: Climbing Mountains with Material Handling Leaders

Join Joe Hewis, Tinnacity’s Director of Sales, as he embarks on an epic, cross country journey by truck and motorcycle from July 20 through August 7, 2026.

The Tinnacity Summit Tour isn't just about logging miles, it’s about uncovering the stories of resilience, grit, and innovation that drive the material handling industry. At every stop along the route, Joe is going behind the scenes with top equipment dealers and industry leaders to tour their facilities, conduct live interviews, and ask one foundational question:

"What is the biggest mountain your business has had to climb, and how did you get to the top?"

From the flatlands of the Midwest to conquering 12 iconic mountain passes above 12,000 feet on his Husqvarna 901, Joe is capturing real time insights on how modern dealerships overcome operational obstacles, manage field technician logistics, and leverage technology to scale.

Follow the Journey Live: Bookmark this page for real time dispatches from the road, exclusive executive quotes, and facility tours. This entire journey will culminate in a featured cover story for the prestigious MHEDA Journal, and you have a front row seat to the raw, unedited insights as they happen.

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DAY 1 Recap: Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and crossing into Indiana

What started as one guy, one truck, and a motorcycle crossing the country turned into something much bigger. Joe Hewis and Michael Simon are kicking off the first leg of the tour together, spending the next stretch on the road meeting the dealers, MHEDA members, and industry leaders who actually make this business run, one handshake and one shop floor at a time.

Day 1 of the Tinnacity Summit Tour is officially in the books! From Cleveland stops and a Columbus lunch with friends, to a little highway trailer drama and a Dayton visit to connect with new clients, it was an action-packed start. Scroll down to see how it went. 👇

We owe a huge thanks to the team at Conveyor & Caster for hosting us in Cleveland, along with Lauren Reed (MHEDA) and John Gelsimino (All Lift Service Co. Inc.) for joining the visit!

It was awesome connecting with Jim Ripkey, Dave Tinnerman, and Brady Fleming over a classic diner experience. 🍽️

We were also thrilled to stop by Miami Industrial Trucks, Inc. in Dayton to visit our new clients and spend time with their team.

Indiana is up next. Stay tuned. 😎

Day 3 of the Tinnacity Summit Tour is crossed off the map! 🚚💨

St. Louis came in hot with high-energy dealer stops, incredible meals with industry leaders, and non-stop momentum from start to finish! Here’s a look at the St. Louis swing:

☕ Stop 1: Connell Material Handling

🍔 Stop 3: The team sat down for some casual shop talk over a great meal with the Forklifts of St. Louis Inc. management team (Michelle Meyer, Jim Manzo, and Rick Phelps) and even got to catch up with Chairman, Bob Whittingham. Nothing beats building relationships over good food!

From here he's swapping the truck for the motorcycle 🏍️ and pointing toward some serious peaks 🏔️. Golden, CO is next📍and this next stretch is going to be a wild one to watch from a distance. 🔥

After refueling with lunch at the Bushwhack Lodge in Lake City, the guys hit the trail again to conquer the rough, rocky terrain of Engineer Pass at 12,800 feet.

They wrapped up an epic day on two wheels by riding down through the historic ghost town of Animas Forks, a former 1870s mining hub nestled high in the mountains at 11,200 feet. 

On Day 3 of THE RIDE, the mountains had a plan of their own! ⛈️⛰️ Heavy overnight rain caused flash flooding and mudslides, closing down every original pass on the itinerary, Imogene, Black Bear, and Ophir. But a little detour planning over morning coffee keeps the Tinnacity Summit Tour moving! ☕🏍️ 

Joe and the crew pivoted to a dirt trail into Telluride, taking the bikes as far as the trail would allow up to the stunning 365-foot Bridal Veil Falls (Colorado’s tallest free-falling waterfall) right below Black Bear Pass. 

After lunch in town at Smuggler’s Union Restaurant & Brewery, they wrapped up the day’s ride exploring the peaceful forest surrounding Alta Lake before heading back to base camp in Ouray. Proof that when the road gets washed out, the best adventures are found on the backup route! 🌲🌊 

Standing on top of the world at 13,114 feet, and facing one of the toughest days of THE RIDE yet! 🏔️ ⚠️ Day 4 on two-wheels for the Tinnacity Summit Tour brought the crew face-to-face with Imogene Pass, Colorado's second highest drivable pass. The route was open, but standard GPS advice was ignored, leading to a brutal climb over loose, traction-stealing rock that tested everyone's limits. 

Between a treacherous summit climb, a scary spill on the mountain, and a emergency room detour in Telluride, today proved just how unpredictable backcountry riding can be. The crew showed serious tenacity (😏) stepping up for each other, but the tour looks a little different going forward… 🩹🏍️ 

Day 5 of the Tinnacity Summit Tour pushed Joe Hewis and his crew into Taylor Park, where the trail plunged right into a wet, rocky creek bed notoriously known as Slaughterhouse Gulch. 

With running water and zero bypasses, the guys had to physically muscle the bikes through the rocks piece by piece! 🪨🌊 After conquering the gulch, they burst onto open ranch land, dropping down the scenic Bluffs for some fast-paced, big-sky riding. 

Taking the long way around to keep the crew safe and making core memories along the way! 🏍️🏔️Day 6 of the Tinnacity Summit Tour brought Joe and the guys past the 500-foot volcanic pillars of 'The Castles' to the iconic Crystal Mill.

Facing the notorious ledge at Devil’s Punchbowl, they made a smart safety call, turning around to take a multi-hour detour through Crested Butte and Gothic to reach Schofield Pass safely.