Toyota Recognizes Johnson Controls and Its Joint-Venture Company for Outstanding Quality, Delivery and Supplier Diversity During 2004
PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 21 -- Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America has recognized auto interior supplier Johnson Controls -- and one of its joint-venture companies, Trim Masters, Inc. (TMI) -- for outstanding performance during 2004.
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Toyota recently honored its best suppliers in North America for their 2004 achievements during its annual supplier business meeting and awards ceremony in Covington, Kentucky. Approximately 500 North American suppliers met to hear Toyota's expectations for the coming year and for recognition of outstanding performance among the firm's supply base.
The prestigious supplier-achievement awards were presented to Johnson Controls, as well as Trim Masters Inc. -- which have operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico that support Toyota.
This year, Johnson Controls and Trim Masters received a total of seven awards from Toyota for outstanding performance in 2004 at various facilities in the United States. In addition, for the second year in a row, Johnson Controls was the only supplier to gain the Toyota Superior Award for Supplier Diversity for its outstanding efforts on minority business development initiatives that help the automaker meet its annual minority procurement targets. In December 2004, Johnson Controls formed a partnership with SAT Auto Technologies to form Avanzar Interior Technologies, a minority-owned company that will assemble seats and interior systems for Toyota Tundra pickup trucks manufactured in San Antonio, Texas.
Performance measures that enabled Johnson Controls and its affiliate to win Toyota honors included meeting the automaker's highest standards of quality; 100 percent on-time delivery; supplier diversity; and overall excellence for work done during 2004, in supplying various automotive interior and battery products.
"As Toyota continues to grow in North America, our suppliers are challenged to meet Toyota's high standards on an even greater scale," said Osamu "Simon" Nagata, vice president of purchasing for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America. "Toyota's success here is directly linked to the success of our suppliers."
In addition to Johnson Controls gaining the supplier diversity award recognition, Toyota recognized the supplier's seat manufacturing plants in Livermore, California with Excellent Awards for quality and delivery, and Georgetown, Kentucky with an Excellent Award for delivery. Toyota presented Excellent Awards for delivery to Trim Masters' seat manufacturing plant in Nicholasville, Kentucky, and door panel manufacturing sites in Bardstown, Kentucky and Modesto, California.
"We are pleased that Toyota has recognized both Johnson Controls and Trim Masters for outstanding performance in providing a variety of vehicle interior products and services," said Brian Kesseler, group vice president and general manager, North America for the Automotive Group of Johnson Controls. "Our focus on customer satisfaction and technology has enabled us to deliver innovative, world-class products for Toyota throughout the world -- and these awards also are a positive reflection on the hard work of our team members and suppliers."
In March, Johnson Controls was honored by Toyota Motor Corporation as a winner of the automaker's Global Contribution Award. Only four suppliers worldwide earned the Global Contribution Awards, one of the automaker's highest supplier honors. Johnson Controls was the only supplier of vehicle interior products -- and one of only two U.S. companies -- to gain top recognition this year.
For Toyota, Johnson Controls supplies a variety of vehicle interior systems and components, and batteries to the automaker's manufacturing plants in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Johnson Controls is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non- residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides control systems and services, including comfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls , founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (U.S.A.).
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NOTE TO EDITORS: For access to other Johnson Controls news releases and additional company information, visit the company's site on the World Wide Web at http://www.johnsoncontrols.com For access to information about Trim Masters Inc., visit the company's site on the World Wide Web at http://trimmasters.com .