Houston, Sept. 21, 2015 — Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) was selected “Corporation of the Year” by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), it was announced today at the chamber’s national convention here.  Each year, the USHCC presents this award to a corporation that has championed Hispanic enterprise, demonstrating that diversity and inclusion activities are both principled and profitable.
 
Toyota ranks in the highest level of the USHCC’s Million Dollar Club, which honors corporations that have displayed a commitment to supplier diversity by contracting $1 billion with Hispanic-owned companies.  The world’s largest automaker is also a founding member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, which recognizes and celebrates corporations that have spent at least $1 billion with women- and minority-owned suppliers.
 
“Toyota has been a proud supporter of the work of USHCC and its mission for 24 years.  Being recognized as Corporation of the Year is a very special distinction that serves to propel our work in supplier diversity even further,” stated Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of Toyota’s Hispanic Business Strategy Group. 
 
Pineda added that as the top-selling automotive brand in the Hispanic market for 10 consecutive years, Toyota is actively strengthening its decades-long ties with a $1.5 trillion consumer segment that ranks among the top economies in the world.  “We will continue our tradition of engaging with Hispanic-owned firms to establish the kinds of partnerships that help businesses flourish,” she added.
 
Javier Palomarez, USHCC president and CEO said: “We are thrilled to honor Toyota as our 2015 Corporation of the Year. As the world’s top automaker, Toyota demonstrates that global industry leaders can empower minorities while building a profitable business model. By constructing their vehicles where they sell them, Toyota supports local suppliers and economies. We look forward to their continued partnership with the Hispanic business community.”
 
The Corporation of the Year award will be presented at the USHCC Million Dollar Club Breakfast on Tuesday, September 22.  The convention, which runs through the 22^nd at the Hilton Americas, is a premier event for America's small business community, convening thousands of Hispanic entrepreneurs, national and international corporate executives, top government officials, and representatives from local chambers and business associations throughout the country.
 
The company’s brand presence at the convention this year includes sponsorship of the closing gala where Osamu “Simon” Nagata, TMNA’s EVP and chief administrative officer, will speak; an interactive exhibition booth; displays of the Texas-built Toyota Tundra and Tacoma trucks; a social media wall; and daily drawings for Apple Watches.