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Toyota West Virginia Presents First Annual Supplier Awards

23 March 2000

Toyota West Virginia Presents First Annual Supplier Awards; Three Local Businesses Honored

    BUFFALO, W.Va., March 23 Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West
Virginia, Inc. (Toyota West Virginia) today presented its first ever supplier
recognition awards during a ceremony at the Buffalo, WV engine manufacturing
facility.  The three award-winning suppliers were Easton Printing Company
(Parkersburg), Orr Safety Corporation (Nitro), and Petroleum Products, Inc.
(Belle).  The awards were given for the 1999 calendar year and were based on
evaluations provided by Toyota team members.  Evaluations focused on the
supplier's performance on Toyota's quality, cost, and delivery targets.
Toyota evaluated the performance of 21 suppliers in determining the three
award winners.
    David Copenhaver, Toyota West Virginia General Manager of Administration,
told the gathering of suppliers, "Suppliers are a valuable part of Toyota's
operation and a key to our continued success."  He noted it is common for
Toyota to recognize suppliers that consistently exceed the company's
expectations.  Tomoya Toriumi, Toyota West Virginia President, presented
custom-made awards to the suppliers.  Each supplier was presented with a wood
trophy made by native-wood artisan Oren Thornhill of South Charleston.  A
perpetual plaque also was placed in the plant lobby to honor the current and
future award winning suppliers.
    Easton Printing was founded in 1971 by James and Carole Easton.  The firm
employs 16 people and is located in Parkersburg, WV.  Easton supplies Toyota
with printing services, giveaways, labels, signs, and tags.  Easton has won
multiple awards including the Small Business Administration's Minority Small
Business of the year award in 1996 and Who's Who Award in 1997 for Executives
and Professionals.  In January 1998 Easton also was chosen by the West
Virginia State Journal for Who's Who in West Virginia Business.
    Orr Safety Corporation was founded in 1948 in Louisville, KY.  Toyota
works with the local branch in Nitro, WV that has 16 employees.  Orr supplies
a variety of safety equipment and services to Toyota.  Orr is one of the
nation's largest privately owned distributors of occupational health and
safety products.  Orr also has a division for professional services that
offers training and consulting services and a division for protection systems
that designs, installs, and services fire suppression systems.
    Petroleum Products, Inc. was founded in 1938 in Beckley, WV.  The company
has 175 employees and its main office and warehouse are located in Belle, WV.
Petroleum Products supplies Toyota with gasoline, oil, and lubricants.
Petroleum Products is a wholesale distributor of Chevron, Marathon/Ashland,
and Exxon Mobil light oil products and has a full line of Chevron, Mobil,
Shell, and Valvoline lubricants and greases.
    Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia Inc. now employs nearly 600 team
members and produces more 1,500 four-cylinder and V-6 engines per day.
Automatic transmission production is slated to begin early 2001.