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| Kenji Tomikawa, president and CEO of Toyota Canada |
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Toyota has been operating in Canada since 1965 and has consistently posted record sales the past four years since Kenji Tomikawa took over the helm in 2002. He has nothing but high hopes for the Japanese carmaker over the next decade.
‘‘I’ve created a ‘blueprint’ for TCI’s future with initiatives set in place to ensure that our customers are taken care of and that sales continue to increase,’’ says Tomikawa, president and CEO of Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI).
As of October 2006, TCI broke previous sales figures for 10 consecutive months, with sales surging 13.3 percent higher than the previous year’s figure to over 200,000 units.
Back in Japan, Toyota has set a goal of obtaining a 15 percent global market share early in the next decade and it has been one of TCI’s priorities to support that mission. TCI’s market share increased from 11.91 percent in 2005 to 12.34 percent at the end of October 2006.
A vital component of Tomikawa’s ‘‘blueprint’’ is what he calls ‘‘Toyota’s nerve center,’’ a streamlined Intranet system that links 24,036 Toyota dealers and 1,430 Lexus dealers in Canada through a centralized computer system.
Tomikawa implemented the computer system to provide customers with better service in line with his ‘‘Customer One’’ program.
‘‘All of our customers are taken care of by one team — the Toyota Canada team,’’ he stresses.
While it may be tempting for TCI to challenge the so-called ‘‘Detroit 3’’ (Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler), Toyota’s corporate philosophy will stay centered on ‘‘kaizen,’’ or continuous improvement.
‘‘If Toyota were simply focused on making this a sales competition, we would not have the resources to concentrate on what truly counts — improving our operations to enhance the customer’s driving and ownership experience,’’ Tomikawa says.
While TCI refurbishes and expands existing dealerships across the country to enhance the buying experience, the Toyota University department at TCI continues training future employees in dealership management, leadership development and company philosophy.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) has begun construction of a second manufacturing plant in Woodstock, Ontario. The billon-dollar facility, which will employ about 2,000 workers, will start production of Toyota’s popular RAV4s in 2008.
‘‘In Canada, we believe in building cars where we sell them, which explains the investment that Toyota is putting into this great country,’’ says Tomikawa.
In fact, over 40 percent of the vehicles TCI sells in Canada are built in the country, with the Corolla sedan its best-selling vehicle.
The Canadian-built Matrix (compact wagon), Yaris (subcompact in 4-door and hatchback versions), Camry (midsize sedan) and Tundra Tacoma (full-size compact pickup truck) are also popular models due to their versatility, quality and high-performance capabilities, especially for the Canadian climate.
‘‘In the spirit of kaizen, we are constantly seeking ways to improve the customer experience, and provide them with vehicles that suit their needs and their wants,’’ says Tomikawa.
TCI also maintains its commitment to environmental and social practices. The Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program, begun in 2000, provides grants to schools to make their schoolyards more ecofriendly. Toyota also became the first national partner of the Canadian Special Olympics in the early 1990s.
Those commitments have been another way for Toyota to give back to the communities in which it operates.
www.toyota.ca |