June 29, 2011
Toyota Launches National Program to Expand Efforts to Help Schools, Hospitals and Community Organizations Make the Most of Every Dollar
At Clinton Global Initiative Meeting, the
Company Announces It Is Donating Toyota Production System Expertise to
Benefit Up to 20 Organizations in the First Year
Initial Project to Focus on New Orleans Nonprofit That Expects Toyota Techniques to Help It Accelerate Post-Katrina Rebuilding
June 29, 2011 - Chicago, Ill. - Toyota today
announced the launch of a national program to donate its Toyota
Production System (TPS) expertise to help schools, hospitals and
nonprofits improve their operations, extend their reach and increase
their impact. The company will be working with up to 20 community
organizations across the United States in the first year to help improve
performance, beginning with the St. Bernard Project, a New Orleans
recovery organization that employs returning war veterans, AmeriCorps
members and volunteers to rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane
Katrina.
Toyota's announcement was made at the opening of the inaugural CGI
America meeting in Chicago, a Clinton Global Initiative undertaking that
is focused on creating U.S. jobs and driving economic growth.
Yoshimi Inaba, President and COO of Toyota Motor North America,
Inc., said: "At Toyota, we judge our success not just on the cars we
make, but also on how many people we help and communities we support.
In today's challenging economy, non-profits across the U.S. are under
increasing pressure to provide more services for more people - with
fewer resources. By sharing the techniques of the Toyota Production
System, we hope to help these vital organizations increase productivity
and efficiency, while decreasing costs and retaining jobs. We are
pleased to extend this support - which has been a long-standing resource
for successful for-profit companies across North America - to organizations that help people most in need."
The St. Bernard Project (SBP) has rebuilt more than 380 homes in
the New Orleans area and created innovative job training and employment
opportunities for returning war veterans. The organization expects that
what it learns from Toyota regarding efficiency and productivity
improvements will enable it to accelerate its rebuilding efforts by 20
percent, train and employ three times as many war veterans and make more
effective use of the more than 60 AmeriCorps members and 200 civilian
volunteers dedicated each day to building and rebuilding housing for
Katrina survivors.
SBP CEO and Co-Founder Zack Rosenburg said: "In disaster recovery,
time matters. We are confident that Toyota's expertise will help us not
only expedite recovery efforts in New Orleans, but also allow us to
replicate our vertically integrated rebuilding model in Joplin, Mo.,
Tuscaloosa, Ala., and other areas of the country devastated by recent
natural disasters."
Toyota's initiative to support community organizations is being led
by the Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC), which was
originally established in 1992 to give back to North America by sharing
the techniques of the Toyota Production System with Toyota-related
suppliers and other companies nationwide. TSSC's work is focused on
helping to make
substantial improvements by increasing productivity, safety and
quality and decreasing costs, always with a unique focus on ensuring job
retention. A sought after resource for some of America's most
successful for-profit companies, TSSC's expertise is now being made
available more broadly to nonprofits and other community organizations.
Toyota also announced today that TSSC will now operate as a not-for-profit entity.
Techniques Pioneered on Toyota's Auto Assembly Lines Having a Substantial Impact at Community Organizations
TSSC pilot projects have already demonstrated the many ways in
which concepts pioneered on Toyota's automobile assembly lines can
benefit a wide array of nonprofit and community organizations. For
example:
- Long wait times at the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem (part of the Food Bank for New York City) were reduced from more than an hour to just 18 minutes by improving processes in meal services; and
- At Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, applying Toyota's renowned "just in time" supply process to the delivery of pharmacy supplies dramatically cut down on waste and is projected to save the hospital $391,000 per year.
Daryl Foriest, Director of Meal Services at the Kitchen & Food
Pantry of West Harlem, noted: "The financial assistance we receive from
our generous donors allows us to continue to serve our customers, but
Toyota's process training allows us to serve them better. Working with
Toyota, we were able to reduce the wait time for a meal, customize meals
for customers to eliminate unwanted food options, and with an
accelerated service time, we no longer need to devote resources managing
long lines. This is a system we can use at soup kitchens across New
York City."
Diane Frndak, Corporate Vice President of Safety and Quality at
Allegheny General Hospital, said: "Not only did the new system Toyota
helped us develop eliminate waste and improve quality, it also
streamlined the workload for the pharmacy and nursing staff. With the
new system in place, our nurses are now able to spend more time with
patients."
St. Bernard Project's Zack Rosenburg added: "Toyota is uniquely
qualified to offer these types of services, which can be 'game changers'
for pioneering nonprofits like the St. Bernard Project. Rarely do you
see a company give away this type of expertise."
Toyota's commitment also builds on its long-standing focus on
supporting local communities. Over the past 20 years, the company has
donated more than half a billion dollars to nonprofit organizations
across the U.S.
Contact(s):
Media Contact:
Luis Rosero
646-512-1406
Tania Saldaña
859-815-9968 |
About TSSC:
The Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC) is a
not-for-profit corporation, established by and affiliated with Toyota
Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA). TSSC
provides an array of services to project companies with the overarching
theme of retaining a company's workforce by improving processes to
better compete in a global market. More than 160 companies - including
some of North America's most successful enterprises - have used TSSC's
leadership and training over the years. TSSC's 14-person team is
comprised of team members from Toyota manufacturing affiliates in North
America and from TEMA headquarters in Erlanger, KY. To learn more about
TSSC or to inquire about its services, please visit www.tssc.com.
About Toyota:
Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957
and currently operates 14 manufacturing plants, including one under
construction. There are more than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion
dealerships in North America which sold more than 2 million vehicles in
2010. Toyota directly employs more than 35,000 in North America and its
investment here is currently valued at more than $23 billion, including
sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial
services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials,
goods and services from North American suppliers totals nearly $25
billion.
About the Clinton Global Initiative:
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global
Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement
innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing
challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings, which take place in New
York each September, have brought together nearly 150 current and former
heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs,
along with heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of
the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members
of the media. These CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments,
which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than
180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments
will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will
take place September 19-22 in New York City.
CGI America is the first CGI meeting focused solely on the U.S. The
CGI community also includes CGI University, which hosts an annual
meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which
engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development
and collective commitment-making. For more information, visit
www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
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