Toyota Hosts First-Ever North Texas Supplier Diversity Event for Local Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses

Plano, TX -- April 7, 2015: Toyota today hosted its first large-scale supplier diversity event in North Texas at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. “Power of Exchange 2015” offered local Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) a valuable forum to network and connect with Toyota’s Tier I suppliers, and provided access to Toyota’s sales, marketing, and professional services.

“We look forward with great anticipation to our move to Plano and are always looking for new business partners to further Toyota’s commitment to diversity,” said Bonnie Clinton, Chief Procurement Officer for Indirect Procurement at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “Toyota has long appreciated the important role that women- and minority-owned companies play in our supply chain. As we build ‘One Toyota’ in North America, we firmly believe that networking, learning and harnessing the economic power of a diverse range of businesses will enable Toyota and the communities we serve to grow and flourish. We very much enjoyed this opportunity to meet the local community and lay foundations for meaningful relationships in our new home.”

The day-long event included a morning session of education and panel discussions that provided attendees with a corporate overview and the expectations that are a part of working with Toyota’s business partners. The afternoon session put these learnings into practice and gave attendees a chance to network through a reverse tradeshow that featured Toyota’s indirect Tier 1 suppliers showcasing their companies and discussing their respective contracting requirements.

In April 2014, Toyota announced that it would establish a new headquarters in Plano for its North American operations as part of a series of moves designed to better serve customers and position the company for sustainable, long-term growth. Toyota’s three separate North American headquarters for manufacturing, sales and marketing, and corporate operations will relocate to a single, state-of-the-art campus in Plano. Toyota’s North American finance arm also plans to move its headquarters to this new shared campus. Altogether, these moves will affect approximately 4,000 employees.