Toyota Panel Addresses Developing Skilled Workforce of the Future

Company hosts Ivanka Trump, signs White House “Pledge to America’s Workers”

At its Kentucky manufacturing facility today, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) hosted a panel discussion to cast a spotlight on the challenges employers face in attracting, developing and hiring skilled technical workers now and in the future.
 
The eight-person panel, included TMNA Chief Executive Officer Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky President Susan Elkington, Ivanka Trump, special assistant to President Donald Trump, and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. The panel focused on the importance of closing the growing skills gap faced by manufacturers across multiple industries.
 
“To succeed in a rapidly changing industry like ours, we need to equip students with the knowledge and skills to compete in the workforce,” said Elkington “We have been forming partnerships for several years to address these future workforce needs.  We recognize our success as a company relies on developing effective educational pathways for a sustainable future.”
 
Toyota, with 10 plants in the U.S., has been a leader on this front. In 2010, the company launched the first iteration of its Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) program in partnership with local community and technical colleges. Students go to school three days and work two days, developing the skills and the training they need to transition seamlessly into full-time employment — often without student debt.
 
In the nine years since the program launched, elements of this model have been adopted by hundreds of other companies and schools nationwide. Toyota has also significantly expanded its program in collaboration with such organizations as Project Lead The Way, Kentucky FAME (Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education) and The Manufacturing Institute to create a pathway that stretches from pre-kindergarten all the way to a master’s degree level.
 
In fact, last year, in Harrison County, Kentucky, the schools were recognized by the National Career Pathways Network for becoming the first school system to achieve a seamless STEM pathway (Pre-K through Masters).

Sara Jenkins Palmer and her sister, Marly, are two graduates of Harrison County High School and the AMT program. Both saw the benefits of a hands-on educational experience that left them with little-to- no-debt and a good job in the end. While Marly calls the pathway a “gamechanger for kids,” Sara says she’s living her dream life at age 24. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities to go to college without racking up debt. This program has allowed me a lifestyle I never thought possible.”

Trump had an opportunity to tour Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK), the company’s largest plant in the world. During her visit, Lentz signed the White House’s “Pledge to America’s Workers,” promising to invest in the advancement of the nation’s current and future workforce. Toyota pledged that over the next five years, it would create enhanced career opportunities for 200,000 individuals, through increased apprenticeships and work-based learning programs, continuing education, on-the-job training and re-skilling.

MIT, Stanford and Toyota Research Institute Use AI to Accurately Predict the Useful Life of Batteries

Researchers discover how to accurately predict the cycle life of lithium-ion batteries using early cycle data and machine learning

Wouldn’t it be nice if battery manufacturers could tell which of their batteries will last at least two years and sell those to mobile phone makers, and which will last for ten years or more and sell those to electric vehicle manufacturers? New collaborative research published today in Nature Energy shows how they could start doing that.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University and the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) discovered that combining comprehensive experimental data and artificial intelligence revealed the key for accurately predicting the useful life of lithium-ion batteries before their capacities started to wane. After the researchers trained their machine learning model with a few hundred million data points, the algorithm predicted how many more cycles each battery would last, based on voltage declines and a few other factors among the early cycles. The predictions were within 9 percent of the actual cycle life. Separately, the algorithm categorized batteries as either long or short life expectancy based on just the first five charge/discharge cycles. Here, the predictions were correct 95 percent of the time.

This machine learning method could accelerate the research and development of new battery designs, and reduce the time and cost of production, among other applications. The researchers have made the data—the largest of its kind—publicly available.

“The standard way to test new battery designs is to charge and discharge the cells until they die. Since batteries have a long lifetime, this process can take many months and even years,” said co-lead author Peter Attia, Stanford doctoral candidate in Materials Science and Engineering. “It’s an expensive bottleneck in battery research.”

The work was carried out at the Center for Data-Driven Design of Batteries, an academic-industrial collaboration that integrates theory, experiments and data science. The Stanford researchers, led by William Chueh, assistant professor in Materials Science & Engineering, conducted the battery experiments. MIT’s team, led by Richard Braatz, professor in Chemical Engineering, performed the machine learning work. Kristen Severson is co-lead author of the research. She completed her Ph.D. in chemical engineering at MIT last spring.

One of the critical tasks in data-driven, multi-institute research projects is ensuring that the large streams of data produced at experimental facilities are managed and transferred between different research groups efficiently. Study co-authors Muratahan Aykol and Patrick Herring brought TRI’s experience with big data to the project and their own expertise on battery development to enable effective management and seamless flow of battery data, which was essential for this collaboration to create accurate machine-learning models for the early-prediction of battery failure.

Optimizing Fast Charging
One focus in the project was to find a better way to charge batteries in ten minutes, a feature that could accelerate the mass adoption of electric vehicles. To generate the training data set, the team charged and discharged the batteries until each one reached the end of its useful life, which they defined as capacity loss of 20 percent. En route to optimizing fast charging, the researchers wanted to find out whether if it was necessary to run their batteries into the ground. Can the answer to a battery question be found in the information from just the early cycles?

“Advances in computational power and data generation have recently enabled machine learning to accelerate progress for a variety of tasks. These include prediction of material properties,” said Braatz. “Our results here show how we can predict the behavior of complex systems far into the future.”

Generally, the capacity of a lithium-ion battery is stable for a while. Then it takes a sharp turn downward. The plummet point varies widely, as most 21st century consumers know. In this project, the batteries lasted anywhere from 150 to 2300 cycles. That variance was partly the result of testing different methods of fast charging, but also due to the normal differences that emerge in commercially produced devices that depend on molecular interfaces.

“For all of the time and money that gets spent on battery development, progress is still measured in decades,” said Herring. “In this work, we are reducing one of the most time-consuming steps—battery testing—by an order of magnitude.”

Possible Uses
The new method has many potential applications according to Attia. For example, it can shorten the time for validating batteries with new chemistries, which is especially important given rapid advances in materials. Also, manufacturers can use the sorting technique to grade batteries with longer lifetimes to be sold at higher prices for more demanding uses, like electric vehicles. Recyclers can use the method to find cells in used EV battery packs that have enough life in them for secondary uses.

Yet another use is optimizing battery manufacturing. “The last step in manufacturing batteries is called ‘formation’ which can take days to weeks,” said Attia. “Using our approach could shorten that significantly and lower the production cost.”

The researchers are using this early prediction model to optimize charging procedures that could enable batteries to be charged in ten minutes. By using this model, the optimization time can be cut by more than a factor of ten, significantly accelerating research and development.

This research is part of TRI’s Accelerated Materials Design and Discovery (AMDD) program. Led by program director Brian Storey, the $35 million initiative collaborates with research entities, universities and companies to use artificial intelligence to accelerate the design and discovery of advanced materials.

About Toyota Research Institute
Toyota Research Institute is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America under the direction of Dr. Gill Pratt. The company, established in 2015, aims to strengthen Toyota’s research structure and has four initial mandates: 1) enhance the safety of automobiles, 2) increase access to cars to those who otherwise cannot drive, 3) translate Toyota’s expertise in creating products for outdoor mobility into products for indoor mobility, and 4) accelerate scientific discovery by applying techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning. TRI is based in the United States, with offices in Los Altos, Calif., Cambridge, Mass., and Ann Arbor, Mich. For more information about TRI, please visit http://tri.global.

U.S. Winners of Toyota Dream Car Art Contest Announced

Eleven-member Judging Panel includes TFS President & CEO Mark Templin and automotive designer Bryan Benedict of Mattel’s Hot Wheel


The solutions to our world’s current challenges just might reside somewhere in the space where automotive technology and visual art intersect. Nine talented young artists certainly believe so – their visions of cars of the future earned them recognition this week as the U.S. Winners of the annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest.
 
Now World Contest Semi-Finalists, the artwork by these nine youth advances to represent the United States in competing against entrants from over 80 countries. In August 2019, the top 30 World Winners will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Toyota City, Japan, and participate in an awards ceremony, which includes a tour of a Toyota manufacturing plant. The nine 2019 U.S. Winners were chosen by a national panel of eleven judges who viewed artwork by 31 U.S. finalists; the latter of which had been selected by Toyota team members nationwide from a pool of 100 U.S. semi-finalists. The national judges were:
 
Mark Templin, President & CEO, Toyota Financial Services
Karen Ideno, Group Vice President - Product, Marketing, Brand and Remarketing
Toyota Financial Services
Pete Carey, Group VP, Service Operations & Toyota Financial Savings Bank, Toyota Financial Services
Elaine Matsuda, Executive Advisor for Service Parts & Accessories Development and Social Innovation, Toyota Motor North America
Bryan Benedict, Design Manager, Hot Wheels Diecast Design, Mattel
Laura Grundler, Visual Art Coordinator, Plano ISD, and Artist & Co-Founder, #K12ArtChat
Matthew Grundler, K-5 Art Teacher, Artist & Co-Founder, #K12ArtChat; and Co-Host, The Creatively Connected Classroom
Bob Merlis, Automotive Journalist; Contributing Writer, Automobile Magazine; and Founder, FeralCars.com
Tony Pan, General Manager, Longo Toyota of Prosper
Robynn Sanders, Award-Winning Art Car Designer & Artist, Maverick Murals
Feró Tobak, Creative Designer, CALTY Design Research, Inc.
 
“These talented young people will become our future leaders, influencers, and visionaries,” said TFS president & CEO Mark Templin. “By providing them with a platform to express their creativity, ingenuity, and passion for making a difference, we could awaken the spark that inspires the next great idea to make this world a better, safer, happier place for everyone.”
 
“The thought-provoking concept designs and artistic talent of the girls and boys who advanced as finalists in this year’s contest made our jobs harder as judges to select the winners," said Bryan Benedict, design manager, Hot Wheels Diecast Design, Mattel. "These kids give me such much hope for our future.” 

“I was so impressed with both the skill and thought that went into the entries,” said Bob Merlis, automotive journalist, contributing writer for Automobile Magazine, and founder of FeralCars.com.  “The kids who shared their vision through the contest are a true sign of hope that future generations will do what it takes to ensure sustainability underscored by social responsibility. That’s a dream in which we all can share.”
 
The Toyota Dream Car Art Contest is a worldwide contest presented annually designed to inspire creativity in youth and imagine the future of mobility. Winners of the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest in participating countries worldwide are chosen from three age categories (4-7 years; 8-11 years; and 12-15 years), with judging based on artistry, uniqueness, and execution of concept. The first international contest was held in 2004 by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. This is the 8th year of the U.S. contest presented by Toyota Financial Services. Below are the nine U.S. winners of this year’s contest:
 
U.S. WINNERS – Age Category 1 (4-7 Years)
Gold: Magical Toyota Piggies by Sydney Bella Cui, age 6, Mercer Island, WA
Silver: The Magic Library Car by Grace Sun, age 7, Livingston, NJ
Bronze: The Dragon Learning Car by Yohann Lee, age 7, Studio City, CA
 
U.S. WINNERS – Age Category 2 (8-11 Years)
Gold: My Dream Deer Car by Lynn Sun, age 10, Livingston, NJ
Silver: Mr. Minigame, The Ocean Helper by Lang Ren, age 9, Ann Arbor, MI
Bronze: Transforming Car by Brian Hoyun Kim, age 11, Sammamish, WA
 
U.S. WINNERS – Age Category 3 (12-15 Years)
Gold: Tree of Life Car by Jiaying Zhu, age 14, San Diego, CA
Silver: The Self Discovery Car by Audrey Tianyu Zhang, age 15, Levittown, NY
Bronze: The Community Car by Brightan Qi Yang, age 15, Moraga, CA 

Toyota’s support of family literacy in America reaches $50 million

New $1 million donation to NCFL focuses on literacy in Washington D.C.-area and northern Alabama

To help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), Toyota is donating $1 million to help break generational cycles of poverty through family literacy in the nation’s capital and northern Alabama.

This new donation brings Toyota’s total contribution over its 28-year partnership with NCFL to $50 million. To date, 420 Toyota Family Learning Centers have impacted more than 4.5 million parents and children across the U.S.

“Education is key to a successful career,” said Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz. “I have seen the impact of NCFL’s two-generation literacy model, where children and their parents inspire each other to learn, and we’re proud to help further the great work of this organization.”

“What a great way for our 30th anniversary to be celebrated,” said NCFL founder and CEO Sharon Darling. “Toyota’s support is much more than just writing a check. They have been hands-on with our family literacy programs since day one. And for a company to be engaged with a non-profit for nearly three decades says everything about Toyota’s determination to make a difference.”

NCFL will coordinate the family literacy programs in each of the receiving communities, partnering with local groups. 

NCFL’s approach of engaging multiple generations of family members is a fundamental and distinguishing aspect of its work. The pioneer of family literacy, NCFL’s research-based, holistic model strengthens families, helps parents gain workforce and literacy skills to get jobs, and propels children to reach their potential academically.

Toyota Solidifies Its Substantial and Growing Investment in U.S.

Company Throttles Up Investments from Original $10 Billion Commitment to nearly $13 Billion Over Five Years with Focus on Advancing Electrification, Creating Hundreds More American Jobs

• By 2021, Toyota will now invest nearly $13 Billion in its U.S. operations with plans to add nearly 600 new jobs at American manufacturing plants
• Hybrid versions of the popular RAV4 and Lexus ES to be produced in Kentucky for the first time
• Production capacity increases and building expansions at Toyota’s unit plants in Huntsville, Alabama, Buffalo, West Virginia, Troy, Missouri and Jackson, Tennessee

For over 60 years Toyota has been growing its manufacturing presence in the United States, and today the company announced it will exceed its 2017 pledge to invest $10 billion over five years with a new commitment to reach nearly $13 billion over the same period.

Part of that commitment is seen today with an investment announcement of nearly $750 million in five different states, with more to come. The new investments include adding the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the best-selling SUV in the U.S., and Lexus ES 300h hybrid vehicle production at its Georgetown, Kentucky, manufacturing plant; expanding engine capacity at its Huntsville, Alabama, facility; doubling hybrid transaxle capacity at its plant in Buffalo, West Virginia; and a building expansion for additional castings at Bodine Aluminum’s Jackson, Tennessee, facility as well as additional castings at its Troy, Missouri, facility.

“These latest investments represent even more examples of our long-term commitment to build where we sell,” said Jim Lentz, chief executive officer for Toyota Motor North America. “By boosting our U.S. manufacturing footprint, we can better serve our customers and dealers and position our manufacturing plants for future success with more domestic capacity.”

A state-by-state look at the new investments totaling $749 million and 586 new jobs:

Alabama 
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama (TMMAL) - $288,000,000
In Alabama, Toyota’s investment will increase annual engine capacity from 670,000 to 900,000 by the end of 2021 to increase product flexibility and better accommodate market demand. New 4-cylinder and V6 engine lines will add 450 new jobs to its Huntsville, Alabama, facility, the largest hiring need in the plant’s history. The investment also includes a building expansion. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $1.2 billion.

Kentucky
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) - $238,000,000
Toyota’s Kentucky vehicle plant, the company’s largest globally, will begin production of the Lexus ES 300h hybrid in May 2019 with annual capacity of 12,000 units while RAV4 Hybrid production will start January 2020 with an annual capacity of 100,000 units. TMMK’s 8,000 team members also build Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Lexus ES models with an annual capacity of 550,000 vehicles. Overall, the plant represents an investment of more than $7 billion.

Missouri
Bodine Aluminum Troy, Missouri - $62,000,000
Investments in Toyota’s Bodine Aluminum plant in Missouri will provide equipment to produce an additional 864,000 cylinder heads for Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA). Bodine’s 900 Missouri team members currently produce more than 3 million cylinder heads a year, which are made for every Toyota and Lexus manufactured in North America. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $455 million.

Tennessee
Bodine Aluminum Jackson, Tennessee - $50,000,000
The Tennessee investment includes a building expansion and equipment to double the capacity of hybrid transaxle cases and housings to 240,000 annually. The investment will also provide equipment to produce an additional 288,000 engine blocks a year for TNGA. The plant’s 300 team members currently produce 1.7 million engine blocks a year, which supply every Toyota and Lexus manufactured in North America, and 580,000 transmission cases and housings. Bodine will add 13 new jobs to its facility in Tennessee. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $365 million.

West Virginia
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV) - $111,000,000
The West Virginia investment includes a building expansion and equipment to double capacity of hybrid transaxles from 120,000 units (Start of Production-2020) to 240,000 units annually in 2021. To meet the production demands, TMMWV will add 123 new jobs to its facility in Buffalo, West Virginia. Overall, the plant represents a $1.4 billion investment.

Ongoing Additional Investment
Today’s news builds upon Toyota’s already expansive presence in the U.S., which includes 10 manufacturing facilities. This past year, Toyota announced a joint venture with Mazda to build an additional plant in the U.S. The $1.6 billion joint investment will create up to 4,000 new jobs in Huntsville, Alabama, with production slated for 2021. Meanwhile, Toyota’s Princeton, Indiana, plant is undergoing a $600 million transformation (previously announced) to incorporate TNGA and increase Highlander capacity by 40,000 units annually. With this, Toyota is adding 400-plus people to its team in Indiana. In Blue Springs, Mississippi, Toyota is launching the all-new 2020 Corolla on the TNGA line that included a $170 million investment and an increase of 400 jobs (previously announced). Currently, Toyota employs more than 37,000 Americans.

READY TO ROCK: 12th-generation Corolla Rolls Off the Line at Toyota Mississippi

Best-selling nameplate emerges with sleek new design and confidence-inspiring safety and quality features



It has style. It has grace. And today, Toyota’s stunning all-new 2020 Corolla calls Mississippi home.

Plant President Sean Suggs praised his team’s success when the first Mississippi-built 12th-generation Corolla rolled off the line, showcasing its sleek new design to team members and community leaders.

“We have an extraordinary team in Mississippi building a remarkable vehicle,” said Suggs. “I can honestly say we get better every day, and it’s because of our amazing team members. I can’t wait to see what happens next for our plant, our community, and as we like to say, the Toyota Mississippi Family.”

Suggs also presented the town of Blue Springs with the first 11th-generation Corolla that rolled off the line at Toyota Mississippi on September 7, 2013. Town of Blue Springs Mayor, Rita Gentry said the vehicle will be used to support the day-to-day functions of the Blue Springs Police Department.

More than 2,000 people come together each day in Blue Springs to build the world’s most popular compact sedan for customers across the Americas and the Caribbean.

Chris Reynolds, Toyota Motor North America chief administrative officer, Manufacturing and Corporate Resources, greeted team members and Mississippi leaders with words of encouragement and admiration during a ceremony celebrating the plant’s sixth major milestone since opening in 2011.

“The role of our team members is critically important, not only to Toyota Mississippi, but to Toyota as a global mobility company,” Reynolds said. “I am so proud of the Toyota Family in Mississippi, and I am grateful to be part of this special day.”

For over 50 years, Corolla has been synonymous with dependability, fuel efficiency, safety and value. Now, thanks to the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform and Corolla’s wheels-to-roof transformation, stylish, connected, refined and exciting will be used to describe the all-new Corolla.

Toyota announced in April 2018 that it would invest $170 million in its Mississippi plant to build the 12th-generation Corolla using TNGA — the new way Toyota designs, engineers and produces its vehicles.

With an elevated dynamic design, robust build and confidence-inspiring safety and quality, the Corolla sedan’s bold new look is shaking up the compact sedan segment. From every angle, the new Corolla sedan looks lower and leaner, tauter and tighter. Powerful fender flares and generously curved fender top surfaces accent its sculpted, athletic core.

From an engine that produces more power, to greater agility, to Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 standard on all Corolla sedans, TNGA showcases a spectacular product in the 2020 Corolla.

The Toyota Corolla remains the world’s best-selling nameplate with more than 46 million vehicles sold globally since its introduction in 1966.

Team Toyota Adds 14 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Summer Athletes and Hopefuls to its Roster

Athletes’ personal journeys inspire others to break down barriers, pursue dreams

For Team Toyota, mobility is more than just physical, it’s facing challenges and chasing dreams. In advance of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, Toyota welcomes 14 new Team USA athletes and hopefuls and three returning U.S. Paralympians to Team Toyota.
 
From breaking down barriers to defying the odds and overcoming physical limitations,
Team Toyota’s newest group of athletes have challenged the status quo and inspire people across the world to do the same.
 
“Whether it’s here in the United States or on the global stage, these Team Toyota athletes inspire others to believe in their own strength, determination, and ability to achieve their dreams,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “As the Human Movement Company, we have an opportunity through these athlete partnerships to show people that no matter the challenge, when a person is free to move, anything is possible.”
 
After launching its global “Start Your Impossible” campaign prior to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Toyota has continued to emphasize its commitment to creating an ever-better society through the freedom of movement. In partnering with Team Toyota athletes, the company has been able to share in this dedication and encourage others to do the same.
 
“Each athlete has overcome his or her own limitations and provides a unique voice to our mobility message,” said Dedra DeLilli, group manager, Olympic and Paralympic marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “By partnering with these incredible individuals, we’re not only able to support them throughout their Olympic and Paralympic journeys, but we’re also able to connect with people around the world and tell our Toyota story.”
 
In addition to the 14 Team USA athletes and hopefuls who have joined Team Toyota, U.S. Paralympians Oksana Masters, Brad Snyder and Jarryd Wallace also continue to represent Toyota heading into the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
 
“I could not be more proud or excited to have Toyota by my side as I prepare for Tokyo,” said Oksana Masters, a four-time U.S. Paralympian. “Toyota is committed to providing mobility for all and that’s something that is very personal to me. I can’t wait to continue this partnership with Toyota and share my own story while encouraging everyone out there to get up and chase their dreams - no matter how big or small they may be.”
 
Team Toyota summer athletes include:
 
Jordyn Barratt (USA Skateboarding): a two-time X Games medalist, Barratt began skateboarding at 11 years old. In 2016, she became the first female to compete in both skating and surfing at the VANS US OPEN where she podiumed in skateboarding. Now 19 years old, Barratt hopes to compete in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 where skateboarding will make its Olympic Games debut.
 
David Boudia (USA Diving): a three-time U.S. Olympian, Boudia has four Olympic Medals to his name, including a gold medal won at the Olympic Games London 2012. After his most recent Olympic appearance in Rio, Boudia took a break from diving before deciding in 2017 to begin competing again.
 
David Brown and guide runner Jerome Avery (U.S. Paralympics Track & Field): diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, resulting in Glaucoma, Brown lost his sight at 13 years old. He began competing in track while attending the Missouri School for the Blind and first attended the Paralympic Games in 2008 after winning an essay contest. Since then, Brown has become a two-time Paralympian. Brown won the gold medal in the 100-meter event at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016 alongside guide runner Avery, a four-time Paralympic guide runner, who began competing with Brown in 2014.
 
Caeleb Dressel (USA Swimming): competed in his first Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, winning a gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter medley relay. Dressel recently graduated from the University of Florida where he was named a NCAA Co-Swimmer of the Year in 2016 and most recently was named 2018 SEC Male Athlete of the Year.
 
Laurie Hernandez (USA Gymnastics): a two-time Olympic medalist, Hernandez overcame an injury in 2016 to make her Olympic Games debut in Rio in 2016 where she won gold (team) and silver (beam). She regularly volunteers for non-profit organizations and is a literacy champion, bringing young people together across the country to build literacy in their communities.
 
Daryl Homer (USA Fencing): a two-time U.S. Olympian, Homer won the silver medal in individual saber at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. He has partnered with several global non-profits to bring sports to the forefront of youth engagement, recently being named an athlete role model for the Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.
 
Jessica Long (U.S. Paralympics Swimming): the second-most decorated U.S. Paralympian in history with 23 Paralympic medals (13 gold), Long began competitive swimming at 12 years old. Born in Siberia and adopted at 13 months old, Long grew up in Maryland and had both legs amputated below the knee at 18 months old after having been born without fibulas, ankles, heels and most of the other bones in her feet.
 
Simone Manuel (USA Swimming): competed in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 where she won two gold medals (4x100-meter medley, 100-meter freestyle) and two silver medals (4x100-meter freestyle, 50-meter freestyle), becoming the first African-American to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming. Manuel is passionate about inspiring children and encouraging all people to pursue their dreams.
 
Oksana Masters (U.S. Paralympics Cycling): a four-time U.S. Paralympian, Masters returns to Team Toyota after winning five medals at the 2018 Paralympic Games. Masters has competed at the Paralympic Games in both the winter and summer in Nordic skiing, cycling and rowing, winning eight medals overall. As a child, Masters had both legs amputated above the knee after she was born with birth defects as a direct cause of the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine.
 
Michael Norman (USA Track & Field): an Olympic hopeful, Norman competed on the University of Southern California’s (USC) track and field team from 2017-18 where he won NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in the men’s 400-meter dash and set an indoor world record and outdoor collegiate fastest time in the same event. Norman continues to pursue his undergraduate degree at USC while continuing his track and field career.
 
Lakey Peterson (USA Surfing): became the first female to pull an aerial maneuver in surfing competition at age 14. Peterson has competed with the World Surf League since 2010, most recently winning the Roxy Pro Gold Coast competition in Australia in 2018, and is currently ranked No. 2 in the world.
 
Steve Serio (National Wheelchair Basketball Association): a three-time Paralympian, Serio won the gold medal in wheelchair basketball during the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. Serio was paralyzed after undergoing surgery at 11 months old to have a spinal tumor removed and began playing wheelchair basketball at 15 years old.
 
Brad Snyder (USA Paratriathlon): a returning Team Toyota athlete and two-time U.S. Paralympian, Snyder grew up swimming and was the captain of his swim team at the U.S. Naval Academy. In 2011, while serving in the U.S. Navy in Afghanistan, Snyder was blinded by an improvised explosive device. He made his debut at the Paralympic Games London 2012 and won gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle.
 
Melissa Stockwell (USA Paratriathlon): while deployed in Iraq with the U.S. Army, 1LT (ret) Stockwell lost her leg after her vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, becoming the first female to ever lose a limb in active combat. She went on to compete in the Paralympic Games Beijing 2008 in the sport of swimming and turned to the sport of triathlon soon after. Stockwell won a bronze medal in the PT2 paratriathlon division at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016. Her favorite job is being a mom to her two young kids.
 
Jarryd Wallace (U.S. Paralympics Track & Field): a two-time U.S. Paralympian, Wallace returns to Team Toyota. Wallace has competed in track and field since high school and in 2007, during his junior year, he was diagnosed with compartment syndrome. Three years later, following complications from surgery, he had a below-the-knee amputation. In addition to training, Wallace is an executive producer on a documentary called “Race to Tokyo.”
 
Alise Willoughby (USA Cycling): a two-time U.S. Olympian and World Champion in BMX racing, Willoughby began racing at the age of six. Willoughby has had a storied career, winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, and several other notable accolades along her journey as the winningest rider in USA BMX history.
 
In March of 2015, Toyota became a TOP (The Olympic Partner) of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee in the newly created mobility category for 2017 through 2024. In addition to its relationship with the IOC and IPC, Toyota is a partner of Team USA; the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association; US Speedskating; U.S. Figure Skating; USA Hockey and the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team; USA Curling; USA Skateboarding; USA Surfing; USA Swimming; USA Track & Field; USA Triathlon; the National Wheelchair Basketball Association; U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing; U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing; U.S. Paralympics Snowboarding; U.S. Paralympics Cycling; U.S. Paralympics Swimming; and U.S. Paralympics Track & Field.
 
Beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Toyota strategically uses it relationships with sports properties and athletes as a way to connect with consumers in the United States. The brand has relationships with more than 40 major sports teams and nearly 30 major sports.

Celebrating West Virginia Women in Manufacturing on International Women’s Day

This #InternationalWomensDay, we celebrate women making a positive difference at our 10 U.S. manufacturing plants and around the world. Watch how their contributions at Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia help produce nearly a million engines and transmissions annually for the Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Sienna, Highlander, and more.