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Third Annual Toyota 100 Cars For Good Program Continues to Impact Nonprofits’ Work

TORRANCE, Calif. (July 15, 2013) – For the third year in a row, Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good philanthropic program will invite the public to select another 100 worthy organizations nationwide that will receive a Toyota vehicle. Beginning July 22, registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations can apply online at www.100carsforgood.com explaining how a new vehicle would support their work. Based on individuals’ votes, Toyota will give away two cars per day for 50 days to selected organizations.

Since 2011, 100 Cars for Good has put 200 cars on the road to benefit organizations and causes that touch real lives – from transporting disabled adults and taking zoo animals to schools, to restoring homes flooded by Superstorm Sandy.

Key dates and facts for the 2013 program:

• July 22 to Aug. 5 – Up to 2,500 applications will be accepted.
• Aug. 19 – The 250 finalists will be announced and will receive promotional materials to help raise awareness for their organizations during the voting period and in their work beyond.
• Oct. 1 – Voting will begin and continue for 50 consecutive days on Toyota’s Facebook page, granting consumers two votes each day to select two separate winning organizations.

Each day, the two winners will be eligible to choose a Highlander, Prius, Sienna, Sienna Mobility or Tundra, which will also come with a six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty from Toyota Financial Services. The remaining three runners-up every day will earn a grant of $1,000 from Toyota to recognize their efforts and encourage further good work.

“The 100 Cars for Good program elevates the positive impact nonprofits have on their communities,” said Michael Rouse, vice president of diversity, philanthropy and community affairs for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “The program creates awareness by involving the public in the voting process, and the extra vehicle mobility helps to advance the goals of the selected organizations. This is a wonderful opportunity for Toyota to give back and demonstrate our commitment to communities across America.”

Each entrant is encouraged to post photos that highlight the group’s community work. As a result, nonprofits organizations across the country have the opportunity to raise their social profiles and gain more advocates for their causes.

“Our Sienna Mobility van supports our core mission to provide individuals in wheelchairs with opportunities that help them fully experience their communities,” said Chris Adams, executive director of Ohio-based Stepping Stones. “We hope more organizations like ours will take advantage of this wonderful Toyota program and benefit from the inspiring support of their communities like we did.”

Empowering Communities

The 100 Cars for Good program is the first Toyota initiative that engages the public to determine how its philanthropic donations will be awarded. Over the last 20 years, Toyota has contributed nearly $700 million to nonprofits throughout the U.S., with core priorities on safety, education and the environment.

For the Massachusetts-based nonprofit All Hands Volunteer, its new Toyota Tundra was essential when disaster struck the Northeast.

“Within 48 hours of Superstorm Sandy, our volunteers were in the new truck driving south toward Staten Island to help affected families,” said David Campbell, executive director of the organization, which used its vehicle to help clear homes after the devastating storm. “By establishing 100 Cars for Good, Toyota helps identify groups like ours with huge needs for vehicles. It makes so much more possible.”

Last year, the 500 finalists inspired thousands of people to go online and select winners. Those who voted learned about organizations around the country and their unique approaches to making communities better places to live.

“For us, the Toyota vehicle helps our staff members drive animals to classrooms so kids can feel the snake’s scales or touch a parrot’s feathers,” said Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden that won a Prius v last year. “That authentic experience can open a world of curiosity, and ultimately, foster a greater appreciation for nature and wildlife. The Prius v helps us get there to open minds.”

For a full list of rules and to learn more about 100 Cars for Good, visit www.100carsforgood.com.

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

Complete training facility in Orlando NXT step for WWE

Opening this summer, the WWE state-of-the-art Performance Center will serve as the new home to WWE’s talent developmental system, recently re-branded NXT and create nearly 100 high-wage jobs in Orlando.

Officials from WWE, Full Sail University, NXT and Florida government participated in a wallbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 18 in Orlando. Fittingly, with Paul Triple H Levesque helping lead the charge, several grabbed sledge hammers -- instead of shovels -- to christen the area.

With 26,000 square-feet, seven training rings, a world-class strength and conditioning program and cutting-edge edit and production facilities, the new Performance Center will give WWE the ability to train more potential performers than ever before through a comprehensive program including in-ring training, physical preparedness and character development.

The new center will be the training ground for talent that includes former professional and collegiate athletes, Olympians and entertainers. It will also offer a best-in-class sports medicine program creating a central location for all WWE talent to receive the best care both in and out of the ring.

“Our economy has created nearly 300,000 new private sector jobs in just over two years, meaning that thousands of Florida families now have the opportunity to pursue their dreams,” Florida Governor Rick Scott said. “WWE could have chosen anywhere in the world to house this new global performance center – and they chose the Sunshine State. [The] announcement that WWE will create nearly 100 more jobs for families in Central Florida is further proof that everything we do is geared toward job creation, and it’s working.”

Teresa Jacobs, Mayor of Orange County which includes Orlando, added: “We are so excited that WWE has chosen to establish its training and talent development operations in Central Florida. In addition to strengthening our burgeoning entertainment production industry, the WWE Performance Center brings high-value jobs, capital investment and continued economic expansion to our area.”

The announcement solidifies WWE’s presence in Orlando and evolves WWE’s partnership with Full Sail University in Winter Park, just outside Downtown Orlando. Last year, WWE and Full Sail announced an innovative partnership that moved live tapings of WWE NXT series -- WWE’s weekly one-hour show that broadcasts on WWE.com and in more than 60 countries worldwide -- to Full Sail Live, the university’s state-of-the-art performance venue.

The partnership, which created a new student scholarship fund, allows students of the university’s entertainment-focused degree programs, including Film, Show Production, Digital Arts and Design, Internet Marketing and Entertainment Business, to gain real-world experience alongside WWE production staff during WWE NXT tapings.

“The WWE Performance Center and our partnership with Full Sail University are critical to the future of our company,” said Paul Triple H Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events, WWE. “Orlando is now the [official] home to the next generation of WWE Superstars.”

Garry Jones, President of Full Sail University, said: “Collaborating with WWE has elevated the education experience here at Full Sail University by creating many opportunities for our students to gain hands-on experience by being mentored by some of the best minds in the entertainment production industry. We are excited to welcome WWE to the neighborhood and can't wait to see what the future holds for this evolving partnership.”

WWE NXT is taped periodically at Full Sail University. NXT also travel throughout Florida and Georgia conducting fun, family-friendly house shows (no TV). The shows include current and future WWE superstars and divas.

Courtesy of The Miami Herald

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/18/v-fullstory/3352197/complete-training-facility-in.html#storylink=cpy

Toyota Partners with Tree of Life Clinic to Improve the Process of Providing Quality Free Health Care

TUPELO, Miss., July 9, 2013 – Mary Ware arrives at the Tree of Life Clinic in Tupelo at 6:40 a.m. to ensure she will have a place in line for treatment when the free medical clinic opens at 4:30 that afternoon.  Now, with the efficiencies instituted in the clinic – thanks to the partnership with Toyota – she can arrive later with assurance she will be seen that day.

Since January, members of the Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi have partnered with Tree of Life Clinic to provide on-site support – free of charge – helping to improve the clinic flow while preserving doctor/patient interaction time.  The improvements include increasing the number of patients seen while reducing waiting time for those patients by an average of 24 minutes and decreasing the length of the clinic workday for volunteers by an average of one hour.

Established in 2010, Tree of Life Clinic is a free medical clinic that provides basic medical and dental care for people in North Mississippi that is fully staffed by volunteers and 100% funded by donations.  Open two days a month (1st Wednesday and 3rd Saturday), the clinic sees approximately 80 patients on Wednesdays and 120 on Saturdays for those who do not have health insurance, cannot afford to pay for medical care or may not be eligible for Medicare/Medicaid.

“When we opened Tree of Life Clinic we knew there was a need for medical services for people with no health insurance and not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, and we were overwhelmed with patients from the first day,” said Polly Bailey, clinic manager and co-founder with her physician-husband Dr. Joe Bailey.  “Every person on our staff is a volunteer.  We have always worked hard to ensure that we provide the best service with the increasing influx of patients. Now we want to take the concepts Toyota has shown us and incorporate them along with the philosophy of continuous improvement to provide the best care with the facilities and volunteer staff we have.”

Toyota, through its nonprofit arm, TSSC, shares its manufacturing know-how to help nonprofits and small to mid-size manufacturing companies optimize the way they work by making substantial ‘process improvements’ by increasing safety, quality, productivity and decreasing costs.  Nearly 200 organizations – including some of North America’s most successful enterprises – have used TSSC’s support.

Toyota Mississippi President Masafumi Hamaguchi added, “Toyota Mississippi partnered with TSSC and the Tree of Life Clinic to work on this project. It is Toyota Mississippi’s honor to help the clinic better serve their customers. We are happy to donate our time and energy to this important community project.”     

Lisa Richardson, TSSC’s project leader, explained, “Specifically, we worked on improving the patient and volunteer experience. On one hand the volunteers (doctors, nurses, pharmacies and support staff) work long hours and on the other patients are willing to wait for long periods of time to guarantee that they’re seen by the doctor. So we focused on several improvements to maximize everyone’s experience,” she added.  

Some improvements include:

• Re-organizing the lobby to maximize patient flow
• Improving the filing system helped reduce check-in process time (30% of files were purged and a new filing system was introduced);
• Standardizing the quantity and location of supplies in the pharmacy and exam room.

By implementing these improvements, the Wednesday shift pharmacy staff  has finished as early as 8:30 p.m. where previously volunteers worked until 9:30 or 10 p.m.  And from the moment the patient checks-in until they leave, the average wait time reduction per patient is 24 minutes.

TSSC, a subsidiary of Toyota’s manufacturing & engineering headquarters in Erlanger, Ky., shares Toyota’s manufacturing know-how with nonprofits like Tree of Life Clinic by focusing on process improvement activities ‘doing more with less’ in a condensed manner.  TSSC’s on-site support typically lasts 3-6 months. The idea is for the leaders of the nonprofit to learn Toyota’s manufacturing know-how so they can teach it to their team and become self-reliant.  

“This project with Tree of Life has been fulfilling,” Doug Formby, Toyota Mississippi vice president, exclaimed. “Not only for the team that worked tirelessly on this project, but for other Mississippi team members that volunteer their personal time here. It is our intent to continue this relationship with Tree of Life Clinic.”

Additionally, Toyota provided a $20,000 grant for medications.

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

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Toyota Leads All Automakers in 2012 U.S. Patents Issued

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (July 5, 2013) --  The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued more patents to Toyota’s innovative designers and engineers in 2012 than to any other automaker, according to a recently-released survey by the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).  The 1,491 patents issued to Toyota companies demonstrate Toyota’s commitment to ever better cars that achieve new environmental, safety and technological advancements.

“Since the days of Toyota’s founding, innovation has been a cornerstone of Toyota’s success,” said Kristin Tabar, vice president, electrical systems engineering, Toyota Technical Center (TTC), a division of Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc. (TEMA).  “We’re driven to listen to our customers and develop new ways to improve their experience.”

Toyota companies received thirty percent more patents in 2012 than the previous year, illustrating the company’s increasing success in fostering ingenuity and keeping a keen focus on the customer.
Whether it’s creating “smart materials” that can help cars resist insect splatter or improving vehicle communication systems, Toyota leads the way in anticipating and engineering the cars of tomorrow for today.

The Toyota Technical Center, located in Ann Arbor and Saline, Michigan, recently held their annual patent awards ceremony to honor last year’s patent recipients. Two team members each received their 20th patent in 2012, Minjuan Zhang, manager, Toyota Research Institute NA (TRINA) and Charan Lota, manager, electronic systems at Toyota Technical Center (TTC).

“Toyota is a great place to be an inventor,” said Ms. Zhang.  “Everyone here is passionate about improving the customer’s experience and it shows in the product.”

“You can tell a lot about a company by the new ideas they generate,” said Mr. Lota.  “And, what these patents show about Toyota is that we are never going to stop trying to make better cars.”

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

Toyota Eclipses 10 Million in Camry Sales

TORRANCE, Calif. (July 2, 2013) – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported 10 million sales of its Toyota Camry, America’s top-selling car for the past 11 years, representing nearly 20 percent of all the vehicles Toyota has ever sold in the U.S. This milestone comes the same year Camry celebrates its 30 year anniversary in the U.S.

“We couldn’t be more excited about Camry’s 10 millionth sale in the U.S.,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.  “With the support of so many loyal customers, Camry has truly become part of the country’s fiber.  For seven generations, Toyota dealers have also been instrumental in getting Americans behind the wheel of a Camry.  Camry is definitely helping Toyota Go Places.”

Toyota’s first generation Camry was introduced to the U.S. market in 1983.  In its first full year of sales, Camry sold 52,651 vehicles.  Three decades later, 773 of those Camrys are still in operation.

Toyota brought Camry production to its plant in Georgetown, Ky. in May of 1988, marking the company’s early commitment to investment in North America.  In October 2006, the first Camry hybrid was produced, strengthening Toyota’s hybrid leadership position in the U.S.

Overall, there are approximately 6.4 million Camrys on the road, further echoing the quality, reliability and durability still represented by Camry seven generations down the line.

This year, J.D. Power and Associates underscored Camry’s value by ranking it number one in the midsize passenger car segment in its 2013 Initial Quality Study (IQS).

Today Camry is also the most American made car with 75 percent of its content sourced domestically, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Today, virtually all Camrys sold in the U.S. are produced in the U.S.

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

Toyota Financial Services Awards New Toyota to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year Winner

July 1, 2013 - Torrance, Calif.– In support of its Making Life Easier for YOUthinitiative, Toyota Financial Services (TFS) recently awarded a new Corolla to the 2011-12 Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) National Youth of the Year Winner Nick Foley.  The vehicle presentation took place at Sarah Heinz House Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh on June 11.  Foley, the first national winner to come from the Club, was joined by representatives from Toyota, the Pittsburgh community and Club teens at the event.  Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl sent a proclamation in recognition of Foley’s community efforts, which include logging more than 1,500 service hours.

National Youth of the Year is BGCA’s premier recognition for teen Club members who have made outstanding contributions to their family, school, community and local Club while overcoming personal obstacles.  Nominations begin at the Club and continue through the state, regional and national levels.  Participants are chosen on local and state levels, with five regional winners meeting each September in Washington, D.C., to compete for the National Youth of the Year title. Five judges individually interview each candidate and select the national winner.

“By overcoming the odds, mentoring others and giving back to his community, Nick embodies the spirit of the Youth of the Year award,” said Mike Groff, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Product Development, TFS.  “Toyota is proud to join with Boys & Girls Clubs of America in supporting extraordinary youth like Nick.”

Foley’s early memories of life in Boston include fighting between his parents and living in a shelter with his mother.  After school one day when he was six, his mother didn’t come to pick him up.  He was placed in foster care until being adopted by his aunt and her partner in 2002.  Foley’s aunt introduced him to Sarah Heinz House Boys & Girls Club, where he quickly found a sense of belonging.  There, he became a leader as a Junior Staffer, excelled in athletics and worked as a counselor at BGCA’s summer resident camp.  He credits the Club with helping him build a bright future.

“The longer I’m involved with Boys & Girls Clubs, the more I realize that any dream can come true,” he said.  “I never dreamed that one day I would be able to have a brand new car.  Being recognized as National Youth of the Year and receiving a car from Toyota is an honor.  Toyota does so much for Boys & Girls Clubs and makes it possible for kids like me to have a great future.”

Foley is a graduate of Taylor Allderice High School in Pittsburgh and attends Pennsylvania State University, majoring in civil engineering.

Courtesy of Toyota USA Newsroom

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