Rainbow Push Coalition 43rd Annual International Convention – Osamu Nagata
Chicago, Ill.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Osamu Nagata, President and CEO, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Good afternoon!
 
Thank you for that kind introduction.
 
I would like to share one experience….since I spoke at a Rainbow Push event last October.  
 
This past January…at the auto show in Detroit….unexpectedly, I was stopped by a gentleman.
 
And while I cannot recall his name, perhaps he’s here today.
 
But this gentleman and I spoke for several minutes. He had listened to me speak at that Rainbow Push conference and he expressed his sincere appreciation to me…and Toyota…for our commitment and recognition to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
He wanted to thank me not because I had a strong passion as “a good business person”…but as “a good human being.”
 
I was so moved…and I expressed my gratitude to the gentleman for stopping me.
 
That encounter has stuck with me since.
 
The gentleman’s words are a good boost for Toyota…and it gives me great confidence that we are on the right path.
 
Now…let me share two bits of great news with you.
 
First about our Supplier Diversity efforts…how it will impact MBE suppliers and create opportunities for them to learn our Toyota Production System……or what we call TPS.                                   
 
Two of Toyota’s core values under the Toyota Production System are continuous improvement and respect for people.
 
And with regard to our suppliers, we have created a long-term commitment to further engage MBE suppliers for mutually beneficial success.
 
Our approach is to sustain and strengthen our existing relationships…while creating new opportunities. 
 
To accomplish this, Toyota will offer a number of MBE suppliers with an opportunity to attend intensive training and application of the Toyota Production System….TPS.
 
TPS has been a major contributor to Toyota’s success. Over time, TPS has proven to reduce waste leading to:
 

• Improved quality
• Lower costs
• And shorter lead time or wait periods.

 
We have TPS advisers.     
 
The leader is Jamie Bonini…and his team is named the Toyota Production System Support Center…or TSSC.
 
TSSC will offer a pilot program with MBE suppliers including:
 

• Participation in a 3-day TPS workshop, exclusive to top management and future company executives
• And supplier on-site TPS implementation activity to help MBEs become more competitive.

 
We are sharing our TPS knowledge at no charge to these suppliers.
 
 
Our goal: to share and empower suppliers with the necessary tools for sustained success.
 
Truly, the term “doing more with less” can become a reality.     
 
I’d like to share one TSSC story with you.
 
It’s a great example of helping a non-profit in Tupelo, Mississippi….near our Corolla assembly plant…and the profound impact TSSC made in that community.
 
Tree Of Life, a local health care clinic, provides quality free health care to patients in Northeast Mississippi who have no insurance….Medicare…nor Medicaid.
 
According to Tree Of Life…the need for quality health care in Northeast Mississippi to those that have no form of insurance is tremendous.
 
Tree Of Life is fully staffed by volunteers.   And it is 100 percent funded by donations.
 
Because their clinic is lean, they are only open two days each month.
 
In fact, dozens of patients would line up the evening before to secure their place in line. 
 
Unfortunately, there was no guarantee all patients would be seen. 
 
That’s when our Mississippi plant and TSSC…teamed up with Tree Of Life.
 
Through our collaborative efforts, Tree Of Life saw operational improvements…serving more people in need and in less time.            
 
In fact, the improvements included:
 

• Increasing the number of patients seen by nearly 15 percent
• Reducing waiting time for patients by an average of 24 minutes
• And decreasing the length of the clinic’s workday for volunteers by an average of one hour.

 
TSSC has helped Tree Of Life take concepts and incorporate them along with our philosophy of continuous improvement and respect for people…to provide the best care possible with their facilities and volunteers.
 
It was Toyota’s honor to help Tree Of Life make health care more accessible to their customers in need.
 
Tree Of Life is just one example that when good ideas are shared…great things can happen.
 
We look forward to working with MBEs to further strengthen our relationship.
 
Now, it my pleasure to share more exciting news with you…about our enhanced engagement with students and how it will impact their lives.
 
Perhaps one day…they will be leaders in business…as I’ll explain in just a moment.
 
Many of you are familiar with Toyota’s Rainbow Push Excel Scholarship Program.
 
Well, today, it’s Toyota’s honor and my distinct pleasure to announce a significant enhancement to this Scholarship Program. 
 
Starting this fall, Toyota will provide $35,000 scholarships to 7 qualified students to pursue their degree.
 
In fact, each $35,000 scholarship will provide a full-ride to many four year college degree programs.
 
We all read the headlines and hear too many stories: the skyrocketing costs to attend college…and about the crisis surrounding student debt.
 
Needless to say, Toyota wants to do our part by giving back and showing that we care about the next generation.
 
After all, they’ll be the future business leaders.
 
By focusing on 7 students each year, the enhanced scholarships will:

• Make a greater impact on students’ lives and on their families by easing the financial burden
• It will focus on STEM programs…Science…Technology…Engineering…and mathematics…to aid under represented individuals in these respected fields.

 
Plus, students will have greater engagement and more access to Toyota team members and associates.
 
This will expose students to more experiences and direct involvement with Toyota teams over the program’s duration.
 
Each student will be assigned mentors and will visit and perform tasks at our manufacturing and engineering facilities.
 
The bottom line…Toyota is committed to doing whatever we can to help prepare our future business leaders while paying it forward.
 
It’s our way of saying “thank you” and Let’s Go Places!  Thank you for your kind attention.