Toyota Expanding N.J. Parts Center to Keep Up With Growing Vehicle Population

WEST CALDWELL, N.J., Sept. 27 -- Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. broke ground today on a $20-million expansion of its Parts Distribution Center (PDC) here that will nearly double its size and make it the largest commercial building in the town.

"Taking care of our customers is the most important thing we do. We need to stay ahead of the demand for parts and accessories as more and more Toyota, Scion and Lexus customers join our family, in order to keep them happy with their purchase decisions," said Toyota's group vice president of North American Parts Operations Jane Beseda.

The center on Henderson Drive distributes car and truck parts and accessories to 74 Toyota dealerships in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut as well as 50 Lexus dealerships in 12 northeastern states from Maine to West Virginia. Starting with a staff of 20 in 1978, the facility has already grown to employ 100 associates who work in two shifts from 6 AM to midnight, in order to ship parts to dealers by 7 AM the following morning. They handle more than 72,000 different parts.

One in five associates has had training in Toyota's Certified Emergency Response Team program. The environmentally-conscious facility recycles 86 percent of its waste and is ISO 14001 certified.

"With the number of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in operation nationwide approaching 20 million, and growing by more than 2 million a year, the need for more capacity is obvious," said National PDC Manager Mike Galbavy. "Additional space is needed now, and by planning for future growth, we will avoid storage constraints down the road." The 18-month construction job will expand the Center from 174,000 to 317,000 sq. ft.