Toyota in the News - July 2011
St. Augustine Toyota is excited to share more news from the best manufacturer making this place a better world.
- Toyota in Washington – Committing to 54.4 MPG
- Japan Employees Give Back to U.S. Tornado Victims
- Rated a Top Company for Diversity
Toyota Agrees to Ambitious New Fuel Economy Standards
Toyota’s Jim Lentz joined President Obama and other automotive leaders this morning to announce a new agreement on fuel economy standards. Under the new standards, average fleet fuel efficiency will nearly double to 54.5 mpg. This will be phased in from 2017 to 2025.
“I am pleased to be in Washington today to demonstrate Toyota’s unyielding commitment to this important process. The long-term objectives of this program are very ambitious, and we intend to meet the challenge.” Jim Lentz, Toyota President & COO, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. continued. “Toyota has embarked on the most aggressive expansion of hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars of any automaker, and we are committed to continuing our demonstrated environmental leadership.
“We share the Administration’s goal of achieving major advances in clean, fuel efficient vehicles. Obviously, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to how the market will respond and what vehicle technologies consumers will embrace, which is why we are rolling out and testing a range of alternative fuel options. As the rule-making process moves forward, we look forward to working closely and constructively with the Administration and other stakeholders to ensure that we realize our shared environmental goals in the most economically-effective and consumer-friendly ways possible.”
Toyota Employees in Japan Donate to Alabama and Mississippi Tornado Disaster Relief Efforts
In the aftermath following the tornados that struck parts of the southern United States earlier this spring, Toyota’s Japan employees asked how they could reciprocate the gesture of giving to those in need. This week, Toyota and its Japan employees announced a $330,000 donation to the tornado relief efforts to be evenly distributed between the disaster relief programs in Alabama and Mississippi.
Commenting on the new donation, Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., said, “We are grateful to our colleagues in Japan for their generosity to the tornado relief efforts particularly during their own difficult time following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Many of our Japanese colleagues and their families have worked and lived in parts of the U.S. where the tornados struck and many more regularly work with affected manufacturing plants, suppliers and dealerships in the region. They wanted to help and their donation demonstrates the true human spirit of reaching out to those in need. We deeply appreciate their thoughtfulness.”
Toyota and its North American employees in May donated $1 million dollars to the American Red Cross for tornado relief efforts in all affected states and regions across the country.
Toyota Named Among Best Companies for Diversity by Black Enterprise
Toyota was named among the 40 Best Companies for Diversity by Black Enterprise. The annual list, included in the July 2011 issue of the magazine, recognizes 40 companies that have demonstrated significant representation of African Americans and other ethnic minorities in areas including supplier diversity, senior management, board of directors and total employment. Toyota was recognized for its achievements in the area of supplier diversity.
This is the sixth consecutive year that Toyota has been included among the Best Companies for Diversity. The list is compiled based on the results of a comprehensive survey of the top 1,000 publicly traded companies in the United States, as well as global companies with significant U.S. operations.
“At Toyota, diversity and inclusion have always been among our top priorities, and we are honored to be recognized by Black Enterprise,” said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president and chief diversity officer at Toyota Motor North America. “We believe constant growth towards a more inclusive environment is imperative not only in developing and retaining a talented workforce, but in fostering a corporate environment that mirrors the communities in which we do business. As we remain committed to continuously improving, we will work closely with our senior managers and Diversity Advisory Board to enhance our efforts even further.”
In 2001 Toyota launched its 21st Century Diversity Strategy, which set tangible diversity targets in areas including employment, procurement and dealer development. Working closely with its external Diversity Advisory Board, a seven-member board chaired by former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Toyota has made strong progress, including more than doubling its annual spending with diverse suppliers. In addition, people of color now represent nearly 30 percent of Toyota’s employment.
The Best Companies for Diversity is just one of Toyota’s latest recognitions for its efforts in diversity and inclusion. Other honors include:
- Inclusion among Diversity Inc.’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity for five years
- Inclusion in the Human Rights Campaign “Best Places to Work Corporate Equality Index” for the past four years
- Induction into the Billion Dollar Roundtable, in recognition of over $1 billion in annual spending with certified ethnic and women-owned suppliers
- “Corporation of the Year” award from the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)
- “Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award” from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
“The companies selected for distinction in this list not only demonstrated a commitment to diversity, but viewed it as a business imperative,” said Black Enterprise Careers & Lifestyle Editorial Director Sonia Alleyne. “The strength of Toyota’s network of minority suppliers enables the company to be even more competitive on a global scale.”
St. Augustine Toyota is proud to be part of a brand that supporting communities by investing further into environmental engineering, donating to those in need and focusing on diversity, you know you are getting more than a car; you are getting a personal commitment.
Don’t forget that our National Clearance Event is on with great deals on all 2011 models! Come in for a test drive with a Prius hybrid or many of our models that offer 30 plus MPG.
St. Augustine Toyota is proud to be part of a brand that supporting communities by investing further into environmental engineering, donating to those in need and focusing on diversity, you know you are getting more than a car; you are getting a personal commitment.
Don’t forget that our National Clearance Event is on with great deals on all 2011 models! Come in for a test drive with a Prius hybrid or many of our models that offer 30 plus MPG.
St. Augustine Toyota has been serving the automotive needs of St. John’s county, Jacksonville, Palm Coast and Ponte Vedra residents since 1976. Our business has grown from being just a car dealer on US 1 to an important conduit of commerce; a generous contributor to the local community, creating jobs and supporting local businesses through the county. In 2005, we watched our building make the transformation from a tired, worn out facility to a brand new, state of the art sales, service and parts center.