Company Background

INTRODUCTION Toyota is one of the world’s best-known and most successful businesses, building cars and trucks in 27 countries for sale in more than 170 markets around the globe. Worldwide production was 9.5 million (8.5 million for Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles) in 2007, placing Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) firmly among the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers. This result keeps it on course to achieve its ambition of becoming the world number one by the end of the decade, with a 15 per cent market share.

Toyota global production in 2006 was more than nine million vehicles. That’s the equivalent of one car coming off the production line every 3.5 seconds, every minute, every hour, every day.

A key element in …show more content…

Vehicle imports are through a facility at Portbury, near Bristol, and sales are handled by a national network of around 200 Toyota and 50 Lexus centres. In early 2003 a dedicated network of Toyota Business Centres was established within the sales network to cater specifically for commercial customers for both cars and light commercial vehicles.

In 2007 Toyota sold 133,545 new Toyota and Lexus cars and 9,891 light commercial vehicles in the UK.

Toyota UK Sales YEAR 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 TOYOTA 70,411 79,298 77,799 83,621 98,154 104,498 117,531 121,081 122,534 117,811 118,432 TOYOTA LCV 6,550 7,924 6,540 6,316 5,774 7,277 6,638 6,968 5,454 6,532 9,891 LEXUS 2,054 3,269 6,904 8,934 11,335 9,452 9,527 10,047 10,548 14,491 15,113 TOTAL SALES 79,015 82,567 84,703 98,871 115,263 121,227 133,696 138,096 138,536 139,034 143,436

National Training Centres Toyota pays close attention to providing focused, high quality training, recognising that quality of service and efficiency depend on the development of individual skills. In 2002 a £3 million complex was opened at Nottingham Trent University, housing the Toyota and Lexus Academies.

These skills centres are equipped with classrooms, showrooms, a training workshop and a body/paint shop that can handle up to 10,000 delegates a year. In partnership with the university, both