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August 14, 2024

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Event theme: 'Stronger Partnerships … Greater Success'

With a massive global supply chain underpinning their sales efforts, Japanese-based automotive and mobility company Toyota Motor Corp. and its North America subsidiary highly value their relationships with suppliers.

“Our suppliers are an integral part and extension of what Toyota does,” said Bonnie Clinton, vice president and chief procurement officer, indirect procurement shared services at Toyota Motor North America Inc., based in Plano, Texas. 

So, when it comes to celebrating the supply-chain contributions of its suppliers, Toyota doesn’t mind pulling out all the stops, inviting top performers to central Texas for its annual Indirect Procurement Supplier Conference dubbed “SupplierCon” — a hearty and welcoming occasion to meet and greet, reflect, recharge, learn and receive recognition.

This year’s event was themed “Stronger Partnerships … Greater Success,” attracting some 325 attendees for direct interactions with senior-level Toyota Motor North America supply-chain and business-unit executives and managers.

Stronger together

Sandra Phillips Rogers, senior vice president of corporate resources, general counsel and chief legal officer at Toyota Motor North America, said the company’s suppliers do more for the company than simply deliver goods and services.

“They are truly our partners and a key piece of our success. We rely on their expertise in the same way we rely on the expertise of any internal group,” Phillips Rogers said. “We look to build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships among our organizations — because we are stronger together.” 

Toyota’s goal in hosting SupplierCon is about enhancing collaboration with its supply base, while ensuring suppliers know and understand current developments at the company, Clinton said.

“SupplierCon is about reinforcing, deepening and strengthening the relationships with our suppliers,” she said. “It is a way to give them information and share what is happening at Toyota. It is our way to give an extra little thank you, so they know that we recognize and appreciate their partnership.”

To the delight of suppliers in attendance, the SupplierCon program agenda was replete with interactions with top employees from Toyota Motor North America. Jason Lynch, general manager, indirect procurement shared services, served as emcee of the program. 

The executive sessions included: 

• Sean Suggs, president, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina, providing a manufacturing update.

• Kevin Butt Sr., director, environmental sustainability, offering an environmental overview.

• Nate Litton, group vice president and chief data and analytics officer, Toyota financial services, discussing financial operations.

• Andrew Gilleland, senior vice president – automotive operations group, leading discussions on sales.

Deeper dives

During breakout sessions, suppliers had the opportunity for deeper dives into operations of specific Toyota business functions.

Appearing as keynote speaker for SupplierCon was Dave Alpern, president of Joe Gibbs Racing Inc., who has a longtime partnership with the Toyota to drive its vehicles on the NASCAR racing circuit.

Gilleland said he welcomes the opportunity to extend direct communication with suppliers any time he can.

“The needs of our specific business — in our specific functions — tend to naturally dominate most of our time. The Toyota supplier conference is a great opportunity for us to connect outside the walls of that day-to-day business,” he said. “It gives us an opportunity to communicate important messages across functional boundaries and show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our business partners.”

Toyota also recognized suppliers with 51 coveted awards, ranging from “Supplier of the Year” and “Total Exceptional Achievement” to “Partnership Innovation” and “Environmental Sustainability.” Comedian and mentalist Tom Kennedy served as emcee for the awards reception and dinner.

Toyota supplier JKL Technologies Inc., a Los Angeles-based information technology solutions firm, received two SupplierCon awards — Diverse Supplier of the Year and Excellence in Partnership, distinctions highly pleasing to President Mike Ireland who founded the company in 1995.

Among supply-chain engagements, JKL Technologies supported Toyota Motor North America’s technology transformation in 2017 when it moved internal operations from Torrance, California, to the company’s new North American headquarters in Plano, Texas.

“Attending SupplierCon is invaluable to our company,” Ireland said. “Not only is it informative of what Toyota is doing, but what its future plans are, which, in turn, gives us the opportunity to adjust and adapt our strategy to coincide. This [conference] allows us to better serve Toyota.”

He said meeting other Toyota suppliers is rewarding because it gives his company opportunities to develop new relationships and share experiences.

“This year’s conference was very special and rewarding for us. Besides the awards, the key speakers were outstanding in sharing Toyota’s current and future endeavors, as well as [providing] continual commitment to its suppliers,” Ireland said. “Meeting Toyota’s personnel and executives gives us insight and familiarity with team members that we interact with almost on a daily basis, which further develops the team-building aspect of the relationship. So long as we continue to be invited to this annual event, it is a ‘must attend’ conference for my company.”

In a world changed by the COVID-19 pandemic that accelerated a shift to virtual meetings and reliance on email, Clinton is pleased that SupplierCon is designed as an activity that puts suppliers and Toyota officials face-to-face and in the same room.

SupplierCon, she said, creates the opportunity to establish a “multidimensional relationship” with suppliers. Even having brief “side” conversations with attendees for introductions and the sharing of stories via direct networking are well worth the time.

“The networking is invaluable. You can’t put a price on that. SupplierCon is about more than the contract and the book of business,” Clinton said. “Most importantly, it is an opportunity to meet people in person. All too often, we get so busy in this day and age of electronic and remote work life. We tend to do everything virtually. It is critically important to develop those relationships on a personal level.”

To learn more about Toyota Motor North America’s supplier diversity program, visit onetoyotasupplierdiversity.com.