What's Up Mac? - Toyota Makes Stirring Recovery
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By Mac Gordon
Editor-at-large
Michigan Bureau
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Toyota's comeback from the tsunamis, recalls and recession came about as payback for numerous global achievements and investments made decades ago.
Foresight in establishment of assembly plants, tech centers and dealerships globally-especially in the U.S., has contributed greatly to Toyota's being No. 1-probably for decades to come.
What is striking about Toyota's record is its success in being leaders in every facet of the automotive industry everywhere its cars are sold-vehicle safely, owner loyalty, number of its vehicles named “car of the year” in one auto show town after another, dealer profits per vehicle sold, returns on investments and numbers of suppliers with plants feeding its North American assembly plants.
Toyota in its 55 years of U.S. operations, reports it has invested $18 billion in the U.S. on sales of 1,644,661 vehicles, which includes nine U.S.-built models at 1,500 Toyota, Scion and Lexus dealers.
At the same time, the Toyota family retains control of homeland operations, while it pleases its foreign operators by making $595 million in philanthropic donations worldwide.
There have been incidents where “Americanization” or “Europeanization” have created friction in deciding wage scales, worker vacations and the extent of health benefits.
But Toyota has agreed to be competitive in labor contracts, and runs its labor relations on an equal-rights basis in promotions, hiring and providing new-car discounts.
The fears held in Toyota's early U.S. years that black workers would be less attentive on the assembly line have disappeared.
Toyota boasts of being an equal rights employer as its U.S. employment tops 17,300.
“Oh, What A Feeling Toyota!” A status that's unstoppable, even if the colossus from Japan frowns on an all-electric car!
