Toyota Is Sole Automaker To Be Named One Of DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies For Diversity

Toyota climbs 10 spots over last year

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May 14, 2014, 05:53 ET

TORRANCE, Calif., May 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- DiversityInc named Toyota one of its Top 50 Companies for Diversity® in 2014, marking Toyota's eighth appearance on the list since 2006. Toyota is the only automaker in the Top 50, placing at no. 38 of 1,215 companies vying for inclusion. Toyota moved up 10 spots over 2013, reflecting strong corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as promotion among its associates, business partners, dealers and customers.

Toyota associates from all affiliates came together at DiversityInc.'s Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R) awards ceremony to celebrate Toyota's achievement. (left to right) Standing: Dana Green, TMA; Jennifer "Jae" Requiro, TFS; Latondra Newton, TMA; Stephen Lewis, TFS; Ann Bybee, TFS. Seated: Midge Waters, TMS; Laura Hochuli, TMA; Yuko Ishikawa, TMA; Shannon Scheuerle, TEMA; Adrienne Trimble, TEMA. (PRNewsFoto/Toyota)

"We are honored to once again be included as a Top 50 Company for Diversity by DiversityInc," said Jim Lentz, Chief Executive Officer, Toyota North America. "There is a simple truth behind our approach to diversity and inclusion: If we want to build great cars and trucks for the way our customers live, Toyota will strive to be a reflection of the America in which we live."

"Earning a spot on the DITop50 proves that management is paying close attention to the needs of their primary constituents—employees, customers and other key stakeholders," said DiversityInc founder and CEO, Luke Visconti.

The DiversityInc list recognizes businesses for their ongoing commitments to diversity in four primary areas: Talent Pipeline, Equitable Talent Development, CEO/Leadership Commitment and Supplier Diversity. Highlights of Toyota's recent corporate diversity and inclusion improvements include:

The percentage of total employees participating in mentoring programs has nearly doubled since 2013
A commitment, equaling more than 40 percent of all philanthropic endeavors, to supporting ethnic, LGBT, veterans and disability nonprofit groups
A 99.99 percent diverse supplier retention rate
More than $100 million in contracts with minority business enterprises generated since 2009 through the Toyota-hosted Opportunity Exchange for Minority Owned Businesses, which is in its 24th year

Previously, Toyota was honored as the "Top Company for Employee Engagement" by DiversityInc in October 2013. It also received recognition as a Top 10 Company for LGBT Employees. Additionally, Toyota is a member of The Billion Dollar Roundtable, which recognizes businesses with more than $1 billion in annual spending with certified ethnic and women-owned suppliers.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com

About DiversityInc

DiversityInc's mission is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list began in 2001, at the same time many corporations were beginning to understand the business value of diversity-management initiatives. The 2014 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results will also be featured on DiversityInc.com and in DiversityInc magazine. For more information, log on to www.diversityinc.com, https://www.facebook.com/DiversityInc, https://twitter.com/DiversityInc, or http://www.linkedin.com/company/26561.

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Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030501/TOYLOGO

SOURCE Toyota