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
[email protected]
SOURCE Toyota Motor North America
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