Planting Seeds for Future Growth, Toyota Reaches Environmental Milestone
PRINCETON, Ind., May 12, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Aside from being a great place to work and producing world-class vehicles, Toyota Indiana strives to be a leader in its environmental efforts. Today the plant showed 100,000 reasons why its environmental efforts are gaining traction.
Teaming Up to Reduce Energy Consumption
Last month, Toyota announced it received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency.
“Our Environmental Affairs team and Production team members have collaborated throughout the years to implement many innovative ways to reduce energy consumption,” said John Stevens, Manager, Plant Engineering & Environmental. “From wastewater sludge reduction to our focused recycling efforts, teamwork has made it all possible.”
“Plant”ing for the Future
In May 2008, Toyota’s Environmental Affairs team implemented its Afforestation Area. The plan called for planting native species of trees on many of the 1,160 acres of land that the automaker calls home.
Fast forward six years – today Toyota Indiana President, Norm Bafunno, gathered children from the Toyota Children’s Center to share a special announcement. Last month, the 100,000th tree in the Afforestation Area was planted. That number equates to more than 20 trees planted for each of the company’s 4,700 team members.
Overall, more than 130,000 trees have been planted in the Afforestation Area. The area has become a thriving habitat for area wildlife, including white-tailed deer, red-tailed hawks and even bobcats to live and reproduce in.
“I know that our plant will be around for many years to come,” said Bafunno. “It is my wish that many of these young children will grow to be our future team members – and as they grow, these trees will be growing with them.”
A key component of Toyota’s environmental initiatives is future sustainability. The Afforestation Area and the fact that Toyota has been a zero waste to landfill facility since 2005 are a couple of examples of these sustainable actions.
Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 14 manufacturing plants. More than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America sold over 2.3 million vehicles in 2012. Toyota directly employs nearly 39,000 people in North America and its investment here is valued at more than $24.5 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals nearly $30 billion. Toyota currently produces 12 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sienna, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Venza and the Lexus RX 350. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana
Toyota Indiana began production in Princeton, Ind., in 1998. Today, Toyota Indiana employs about 4,700 team members from the Tri-State to build the Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicle, Sienna minivan and Highlander and Highlander Hybrid midsize sport utility vehicles. Toyota’s total investment at the Princeton, Ind., plant is $3.9 billion.
Media Contacts
Kelly Dillonkelly.dillon@tema.toyota.com
(812) 779-8268
