Toyota Dedicated to Preserve the Environment

This is part of our six-part Toyota in Action series. See our previous articles on Toyota operations, Toyota’s community involvement, how Toyota makes driving safer and the people of Toyota.

When you think of Toyota vehicles, you may think of the current quintessential Toyota: the Toyota Prius. The Toyota Prius has set the standard and blazed the trail of environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles. The Toyota Prius as earned many environmental awards, but Toyota’s dedication to the environment is more than just one vehicle. It’s the way Toyota does business.

“Protecting the environment is a commitment that affects all our operations — from the efficient, environmentally sensitive vehicles we design, to the emphasis we place on sustainable business, manufacturing and building practices across our company.”

While more than 1 million Toyota hybrid vehicles have been sold in the United States since 2000 (3 million have been sold globally) and there are 11 hybrid models on the road, Toyota is also committed to making sure the manufacturing process is as low-impact as possible. Ten Toyota plants in North America have earned Leed Certification (https://new.usgbc.org/leed) awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. This means that Toyota’s plants implement improved strategies “for better environmental and health performance. Some aspects of these standards include energy consumption, water consumption and the incorporation of low-impact building materials.” 

“Protecting the environment is one of the most important things we can do as a company. We make it a cornerstone of our business – from the actions we take to reduce the environmental impact of our products to the environmentally sensitive practices we employ to build, distribute and sell them.”

In fact, it’s not just the manufacturing plants that are working hard to protect the environment: 18 dealerships across the country have also achieved Leed Certification. 

The reason Toyota cares so deeply about the environment is because of the affect it could have on future generations. And who else cares more about future generations than educators? That’s why Toyota teamed up in the Institute of International Education and the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management “to better prepare teachers to advance environmental stewardship and global connectedness in their classrooms, schools and across their communities. Each year, the program sends educators overseas for 2-3 week study tours in countries at the forefront of innovative solutions to environmental challenges.”

Since the program began in 1998, more than 600 teachers have been sent to Japan, the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica. Teachers who traveled to South Africa in 2011 were able to teach their students what they were learning in South Africa using social media-based virtual technology provided by Toyota. Teachers came home with more knowledge and more passion that they were able to instill in their students and a future generation.

Toyota is dedicated to the environment by doing what it can on and off the road. Toyota didn’t hesitate to assist the World Wildlife Fund preserve the Galapagos Islands and working with the Ecuardorian to develop more sustainable and renewable energy sources for this incredible ecosystem. From the islands in the Pacific Ocean to New York City where Toyota has planted 500,000 trees of the 1 million it pledged to plant, Toyota works with local and worldwide organizations to make the world a little better for our children.

Toyota’s dedication to the environment is all about looking to the future, providing educational opportunities and applying new technology to make a difference. Check it out:

http://www.toyotainaction.com/environment/story/imagining-new-ways-to-drive-dc

“At Toyota, we believe the best way to have an impact on the environment is to have as little impact as possible. That’s why our environmental commitment is built into everything we do — from innovative fuel technologies to supporting a range of "green" initiatives to a drive for zero waste in our plants.”

For more information about what Toyota is doing to make positive impact on the environment, go to www.toyotainaction.com/environment. 

Toyota is Dedicated to Making Drivers, Passengers Safer

This is part of our six part Toyota in Action series. See our previous articles on operations, community, and the people of Toyota.

Safety is generally one of the biggest concerns of car buyers when they are considering buying a new automobile. Studies have shown that fewer people are dying in car collisions and the biggest reason is because cars are built smarter and safer. Toyota is dedicated not just to building safer cars, but also educating teens and parents about safer driving and investing in the future of safety technology.

Of course, when people think of automobile safety, they think of safe cars. Here are some of the highlights from Toyota’s automobiles:

• 100% of new Toyotas are equipped with the new Star Safety System and Smartshop Brake Override Technology, the first full-line manufacturer to do so.
• There are six advanced safety features in the Star Safety System: Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Anti-Lock Brake System, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Brake Assist, and Smart Stop Technology.
• Toyota invests $1 million per hour into research and development to create safer cars

While many automakers, including Toyota, tout great safety measures that prevent injury when a collision occurs, Toyota also invests in programs that prevent collisions and serious injuries, including teen driving programs like the Toyota Driving Expectations (TDE) and Toyota Teen Driver (TTD). Toyota knows that getting a driver’s license is an exciting rite of passage for teens, but the first year of driving is also the most dangerous. Parents want their children to be safe, so in addition to these teen driving programs, Toyota has listed a few tips to help parents with teen-driver safety:

• Be the driver you want your child to be. Parents are the first and best driving instructors, role models who lead by example.
• Insist that your teen always wear a seat belt. Peer pressure or image consciousness must never take a backseat to safety.
•  Educate your teen to avoid distractions and limit all secondary activity – which includes not just texting and cell phone use but eating while driving, bringing pets into the vehicle, and other outside elements that might interfere with keeping one’s eyes on the road.
•  Restrict teen passengers, whether friends or relatives. For every additional teen passenger in the car, chances increase for the creation of distractions that could lead to accidents.

5.       Set expectations with your teen for safe driving by developing together a “driving contract” that outlines expected behaviors, consequences, and rewards. For an example of what such an agreement might look like, visit http://toyotateendriver.discoveryeducation.com/parents.cfm#mta.

In addition to teen safety programs, Toyota has also teamed up with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center to create a child restraint education program called Buckle Up For Life. The founding director of Trauma Services at the hospital noticed a disturbing trend: that African-American and Hispanic children were three to four times more likely to suffer serious injury or death in an automobile collision. One of these children was Reyna Hernandez who had to re-learn to walk after being thrown from a car because she was not wearing a seat belt. Reyna overcame her injuries and is now a doctor supporting Buckle Up For Life. Watch this video on Reyna’s experience and Buckle Up For Life:

http://www.toyotainaction.com/safety/story/reyna-hernandezs-story

Three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly; Toyota thinks that is too many. Toyota cares about the future of all children and believes that all children should ride safely. Buckle Up For Life is focused on educating parents and guardians in African-American and Hispanic communities about the importance of properly using and installing car seats and other child safety technology.

To Toyota, safety isn’t just about making its own cars safer; the goal of Toyota is to improve automotive safety as a whole. As a result, Toyota invested $50 million to launch the Collaborative Safety Research Center that is “devoted to spurring the advancement of automotive safety in North America based on the three pillars of collaborative research, accident data analysis, and outreach…” Safety information discovered at the CSRC is available to the entire auto industry.

“By partnering with leading North American universities, hospitals, research institutions, federal agencies, and other organizations, CSRC is working to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries on America’s roads by better understanding the complex dynamics between vehicle, driver, and traffic environment. The Center's current focus is on protecting children, teens and seniors — the three most vulnerable groups on the road. Together with our ever-growing team of partners, including our Charter Partners at The University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, we're examining ways to reduce driver distraction, studying the effectiveness of an electronic coaching and monitoring system for teen drivers, and creating a national crash surveillance system focused on child occupants of vehicles-- with more programs and partners to come.”

So whether it is behind the scenes in research and education or utilizing Toyotas six-point Star Safety System into all new automobiles, you know that Toyota is dedicated to keeping their drivers and passengers, and all drivers and passengers, safer.

For more information about Toyota’s dedication to safety, go to www.ToyotainAction.com or www.toyota.com/safety. 

People of Toyota are "Heart and Soul" of Company

This is part of our Toyota in Action series. See our previous articles about Toyota operations in the United States and community involvement.

Everyone knows that a company is only as good as the people in it. Based on Toyota’s record as one of the premier automobile companies in the world, that means that Toyota has some pretty amazing people driving it.

So how many amazing team members does Toyota have in the United States? Here’s a glimpse:

• There are more than 200,000 Toyota employees throughout the U.S.
• Toyota has been creating jobs in the U.S. for 55 years
• There are 2,000 new Toyota jobs in Mississippi alone

And here’s an interesting fact that demonstrates Toyota’s dedication to its employees and sound business practices: no Toyota employees were laid off during the economic downturn. Zero.

When a company has been around for 55 years and has shown dedication to its employees like Toyota has, you are bound to have lots of employee stories. For example, Wil James is one of Toyota’s longest-serving employees, arriving at the Georgetown, Kentucky plant just after he graduated college in 1987. Wil identified with Toyota’s values “challenging himself, having a long-term vision, and valuing teamwork” and rose through the ranks to become the Georgetown plant’s newest president. Wil’s ascension to the top also demonstrates Toyota’s global commitment to equal opportunity because Wil is also the first African-American president of the Georgetown plant.

While several automotive car companies suffered through significant layoffs when the recession began in 2009, Toyota used the ‘down’ time to reinvest in its employees and local communities with additional training and service. Toyota didn’t sit on its proverbial hands and wait out the storm: they went to work for you.

“Thousands of Toyota employees across the U.S. have put their talents to work helping others. In 2010, team members from our San Antonio plant joined local partner, United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, to lend a hand to area agencies like the St. Peter – St. Joseph Children’s Home. At “St. PJ’s,” as it’s affectionately known, Toyota volunteers rolled up their sleeves and tackled projects that ranged from painting to landscaping to helping clients. The staff and children of St. PJ’s aren’t the only ones to appreciate our team members’ efforts. In June 2011, the United Way named TMMTX Large Business Volunteers of the Year for our continuing efforts and partnership with them.”

The devastating Tornados in April 2011 in Alabama provided Toyota and Toyota’s employees with an opportunity to serve those communities who lost everything. Not only did employees from Toyota’s Huntsville manufacturing plant volunteer nearly 10,000 volunteer hours between April and May of 2011 helping clean up the disaster, Toyota provided full pay to its team members as they did so. Toyota also donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help with tornado disaster relief.

Toyota wants employees who care about their communities and want to give back. And Toyota encourages this by doing things like giving employees full pay while they are cleaning up disasters and giving significant donations to further help those communities.

This encouragement led to an amazing turnout of Toyota employees for the 2010 National Lands Day, which is dedicated to improving public lands. With Toyota’s encourage, more than 3,500 Toyota employees in 19 states rolled up the sleeves and went to work. From clearing invasive blackberry bushes to boarding canoes to pull floating debris out of a river, Toyota employees showed their love for nature and giving back.

The people who make up Toyota (and make Toyotas) know what’s important. Their strength, caring and commitment to Toyota and their community make Toyota the strong company that it is. Toyota fosters an environment where people can become the best individual and best team member they can be by providing opportunities within the company and encouraging positive activity outside of their office walls.

For more information on how the people of Toyota make a difference in Toyota and in local communities, go to www.ToyotainActon.com.

Toyota: Made in the USA

Toyota’s American Operations

When people think of the American auto industry, they usually think of the Big Three headquartered in Detroit. What many people don’t realize is, while Toyota has headquarters in Japan, many Toyota vehicle are built and many Toyota jobs are located right here in the USA.

Yes, Toyota could even be considered an American car.

Here are some fast facts for you:

• There are 10 Toyota manufacturing plants located across US
•  Nine Toyota models are built in the US
• There are 1,500 Toyota, Scion and Lexus dealerships in the US
• Toyotas built in the US export to 21 countries around the world
• There have been 17 million Toyotas built in the US
• There have been $18 billion in investments in the US by Toyota

While ‘operations’ may sound like a dry topic, you may as well interpret “Toyota operations” to mean “Toyota jobs in America,” which has even more meaning in this tough economy. It is easy to put numbers on ‘operations,’ but what is more important is how Toyota operations impact a local community and economy.

Most relevant to our many of our readers and patrons in Burien, Toyota posts some big numbers in the state of Washington:

•  Toyota employs more than 2,800 people in Washington
• Toyota has invested more than $390 million dollars in Washington
• Toyota has donated more than $812,000 to causes in Washington
• There are 34 Toyota dealerships across the state that have a ripple affect on local economies, including your favorite Toyota dealership in Burien, Toyota of Burien. J

In fact, Toyota has even partnered up with another local business: Microsoft. According to its website, “…Toyota is partnering with Microsoft to develop the next generation of in-car technology. The partnership will create a new system that doesn’t just give our drivers access to entertainment and navigation features, but also will allow you to better manage energy consumption inside and outside of your car — while you drive, when the car is charging, and even in your home.”

Speaking of technology (because we know Americans love their technology), Toyota also has a technical center headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., which is the leading technical center outside of Japan. The Toyota Technical Center “has been the driving force behind Toyota's North American engineering and research and development activities for more than 35 years.”

Toyota is committed to growing its presence in the US, too. Toyota’s newest plant is in Blue Springs, Mississippi and employs 2,000 people, will make 150,000 Toyota Corollas per year and represents $800 million in investments in the state of Mississippi. Those are big numbers of no small consequence to the Blue Springs community, state of Mississippi and American economy.

Toyota’s operations are not simply limited to making whole cars, either. “Almost forty years ago, Toyota opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Long Beach, Calif. Since then, Toyota Auto Body Company, Inc. (TABC, Inc.) has produced a range of automotive parts, and currently manufactures steering columns, coated substrates, and catalytic converters for Toyota vehicles built in North America. Our success with TABC paved the way for Toyota’s ongoing manufacturing investment in North America and continues today in California — and across the U.S.”There are plants like this all over the US.

There are also numerous financial services offices (including one located in Bellevue, Wash.) and sales offices all over the country. Each of these is dedicated to the quality that Americans have come to expect from Toyota and each of these shows the enormous presence of Toyota in the US.

These are just a few examples of how Toyotas are made and sold in the US and how Toyota has a huge, positive impact on American lives. All across the country, from financial services offices to manufacturing plants to sales offices, you will see Toyota’s dedication to innovation, quality and reliability.

You can find out more about Toyota in the US and its impact on local economies, including our own here in Washington State and Burien, at the website below.

Support a business that that supports your community: buy your next car at Toyota of Burien.

http://www.toyotainaction.com/operations

Toyota Gives Back to Communities Big and Small

[Editor's Note: This is part of our six-part Toyota in Action series. See our previous blog articles]

When a company says they “give back to the community,” it sounds so cliché. Maybe it is cliché. But with Toyota, the only better way to say it is, “We give because we are a part of this community and we really care.” But that is a little too wordy to put on websites and brochures, so we’ll just say: Toyota is dedicated to community; your community, our community, the global community.

In this article, the second part of our six-part blog feature of Toyota in Action, the focus is Toyota’s involvement in community. “At Toyota, we strive to be a vehicle for change. That’s why we support programs throughout the U.S. focused on education, environment, and safety.” Toyota is driven by the old adage, “You can’t help everyone everywhere, but you can help someone somewhere,” and that is one of the foundations of Toyota’s community involvement.

Whether it’s building an orphanage in Haiti or building a school for to give children with autism a place to go where they can learn, Toyota empowers and encourages its local dealers to find their passion, their purpose and do what they can to make a difference. In the case of the two dealers featured in this touching video, one was drawn to help the orphans of Haiti and the other was driven to help other children like his son who struggle with autism. [LINK]

Locally, Burien Toyota gets involved with many different organizations. Whether it’s teaming up with the American Lung Association of Washington by sponsoring the first-annual Ride Around the Sound to raise funds and awareness for clean air programs and lung health, sponsoring a charity auction for the Evergreen Community Aquatic Center that provides low-cost swim lessons and a place of wholesome recreation for a low-income area, or continually working with local schools like St. Francis of Assisi, Burien Toyota is dedicated to giving back to our community.

In addition, we are pleased to be a sponsor of the Aviation High School benefit auction on November 3rd this year - spots are still available; click to find out ways you can help too.  Aviation High School is unique among Seattle area public and private high schools with a focus on Aviation and Aerospace within a project-based learning environment that prepares all students for college careers and citizenship.

“Why do we get involved and give back to organizations in Burien, White Center and other surrounding communities?” said Pat Dillon of Burien Toyota. “Because we live here, we work here, we know how important it is to have these programs. We are in a position to help a lot of organizations achieve their worthy goals and we try to help them when we can. It’s part of who we are as a part of Toyota. It’s who we are as Burien Toyota.”

• Toyota gives millions of dollars every year and initiates or supports hundreds of programs all across the United States. Here are a few highlights:

• Toyota has given $595 million to philanthropic organizations

• Through its “100 Cars for Good” program, Toyota gave away 100 cars to 100 non-profit organizations in 100 days; these cars helped children with cancer, deliver meals and more.

• 16,000 teens and parents have been served by Toyota’s free teen driving programs

One of Toyota’s biggest, and possibly most important undertakings, is its “Buckle Up for Life” program. Toyota teamed up with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center to create the “Buckle Up for Life” initiative “to address some of the multiple socio-economic, cultural and language barriers” in an effort to reverse the statistics of Hispanic and African-American children dying in car collisions. As stated in the video below, Hispanic and African-American children are three to four times more likely to die in car collisions because they are not properly restrained. Toyota and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center “have the same goals” and that vision is that everyone is safe while on the road.

In the cities where “Buckle Up for Life” is educating parents and guardians, the number of children using seat belts has TRIPLED and the program is rapidly expanding to other cities. Check out more about this life-saving program in this video.

Toyota also gives back to communities in the form of educational opportunities. In Mississippi, Toyota teamed up with the CREATE Foundation to launch “The Center for Professional Futures,” which could open in the fall of 2013. “This innovative, cross-county program will offer career “academies” for high school students in fields such as computer graphics and animation,  pre-engineering, architecture, legal studies, advanced manufacturing and health science technology.” Toyota knows that access to these programs will make a huge difference in the education and future of these students and their communities.

Toyota cares about the environment, too. It cares enough to plant one million trees in New York City. “Toyota is proud to be a lead sponsor of MillionTreesNYC, an initiative led by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City’s Parks & Recreation Department, and Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project (NYRP). The program’s ambitious goal is to plant one million new trees across the five boroughs by 2017. We’re happy to say we’re halfway there, with 500,000 trees already planted.”

Toyota gives back to all communities in the form of safety education, millions in philanthropic donations, and restoring the environment; we believe in getting involved locally and globally.For more about Toyota's community involvement, click here.  To find out more about Burien Toyota, please go to BurienToyota.com.
        

Toyota of Burien Sponsors Evergreen Community Aquatic Center Benefit Auction

The Seattle area has an abundance of natural resources: mountains, forests and water. Lots of water. However, in an area that is literally surrounded by water (and frequently has it coming from the sky) there are many Western Washington residents who do not have the life-saving skill of knowing how to swim. The Evergreen Community Aquatic Center is trying to change that.

Toyota of Burien is teaming up with the Evergreen Community Aquatic Center, located in White Center, to sponsor their first annual benefit auction on Oct. 13.

“We are surrounded by water,” Noelle Kawaguchi, ECAC Board President, said. “The death rate from drowning is nearly twice the national average in low income areas.”

The ECAC re-opened two years ago after a group of parents and community leaders saw the value in being able to offer a place of wholesome recreation and low-cost/free swimming lessons to the White Center community. Since opening two years ago, the ECAC has taught hundreds of children how to swim, is the home of several area swim teams, and is utilized by many other area non-profit groups, including Neighborhood House, Union Gospel Mission, and New Futures.

Because the ECAC is a non-profit and the facility is aging (originally built in 1971), support from the community is needed to cover the costs of keeping it open. The ECAC has never turned anyone away from a swim lesson and hope to never have to, so they are having their first annual benefit auction on Oct. 13. According to a letter sent to local businesses, the ECAC is important to the White Center
community because:

• It is a positive youth and family activity center.

• It provides White Center with a healthy and positive business

• They work to remove cultural barriers and the fear of the water that is present in many of our area’s immigrant groups.

• The death rate from drowning is twice the national average in low-income areas.

• Swimming creates lifelong fitness and activity habits and impacts the national epidemic of obesity.

“We offer low income lessons also so there are lessons available for $40 for a sessions of 8 lessons,” said Kawaguchi. “We did one session last year titled pay what you can and some people took lessons for free, or $10 or whatever they could afford.”

All of this is possible through the generous donations and involvement of the community, including
Toyota of Burien who is a presenting donor of the benefit auction.

“This is the first time for this event so this will help cover some of our costs which is great,” said
Kawaguchi. “This is the first time we have partnered with the dealership but we would love to do more in the future.”

Toyota of Burien is proud to sponsor an event for a great organization that has a direct impact on the White Center community and helps saves lives.

“We are happy to help the ECAC as a sponsor,” said Nathan Ayers of Toyota of Burien. “They save lives by teaching children how to swim who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn. And the ECAC is utilized by so many organizations like swim teams and other non-profits that, really, it is invaluable to the community. We want to encourage other area businesses to get involved either by donating a product or service to the benefit auction or donating financially right to the ECAC!”

The First Annual Charity Auction Benefitting Evergreen Community Aquatic Center is 7pm-12pm on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Normandy Park Community Club (1500 SW Shorebrook Drive, Normandy Park). Tickets to the silent auction and Casino Night are $10 per person, which includes one drink ticket. For more information about the ECAC and the benefit auction, call 206.588.2297 or go to evergreenpool.org or email: ecacauction@comcast.net.