PRINCETON, Ind.,
Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
When long-time team members Sandra
and Andres Chaparro saw the first vehicle roll off the line
in 1998, they felt a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing
they'd had a hand building it. Little did they know; their hands
would be busy building 4,999,999 more vehicles over the next 20
years.
"It's really seems like yesterday we opened the plant and
started our journey with Toyota," the Chaparros said. "After 20
years—and 5 million vehicles—Toyota has really become our second
family. Having a reliable career with a company that cares about us
as team members and offers opportunity for growth has been so
important to us both and to our family. We're so proud to have been
a part of these 5 million cars and all of TMMI's
successes."
There's no question, the 5-millionth vehicle—a Toyota
Sequoia Platinum—is a direct result of the plant's world-class
workforce. Growing to more than 5,300 team members over the past 21
years, Toyota Indiana is driving into the future with a strong
presence in the industry and in its local communities with a total
plant investment of $4.3 billion and
new growth on the horizon.
"This milestone is a great testament to the men and women at
Toyota Indiana," said plant president Millie Marshall. "Our team members have met
every challenge and continue to build incredible vehicles for our
customers in a safe and efficient way."
With 5 million vehicles in its repertoire, there has to be
a secret of success, right? Aside from its dedication to quality,
safety and a solid commitment to its team members, Toyota Indiana
also attributes its success to the support from various community
partners and elected officials.
"For more than 20 years, we've watched Toyota grow in
Indiana—providing good jobs for Hoosiers, training future leaders,
and giving back to the community," Gov. Eric J. Holcomb said. "Today we celebrate the
company's continued success, commitment to our state, and the 5
millionth vehicle produced by Hoosiers. We look forward to
witnessing Toyota's next milestone here in Indiana."
And while building vehicles is the lifeblood for the
plant, building partnerships in its communities is just as
important. To commemorate the many years of success, Toyota Indiana
awarded five local nonprofits with a surprise donation of
$15,000 each promoting initiatives
ranging from workforce development to youth safety, and several
STEM education programs, all of which will help further the plant's
mission to build more than great cars.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in
the U.S. and North America for 60
years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that
time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have
contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of
more than 33 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14
manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than
46,000 people (more than 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North
American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.7
million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016 – and
about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years
are still on the road today.
Contact:
Karen Johnston
(812) 215-9103
karen.johnston@toyota.com
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/toyota-indiana-celebrates-5-million-success-stories-300523713.html
SOURCE Toyota Motor North America