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April 09, 2025

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Supplier engagement is key to Toyota’s success

By Tonya McMurray

 Supplier engagement is key to Toyota’s success, and the 34th annual Opportunity Exchange offered small and diverse businesses the opportunity to connect with Toyota Motor North America Inc.’s Tier I supplier network.

“Supplier engagement is part of our DNA, and we plan to continue to give people opportunities to compete,” said Matt Greene, senior manager of supplier engagement at Toyota Motor North America Inc. “We’re creating an open door so that anybody can potentially gain business.”

The theme of the recent Opportunity Exchange was “Inspired to Move, Build and Lead Together.” The event drew more than 1,200 attendees and featured about 250 Toyota Tier I suppliers.

The event is open to any supplier, but Opportunity Exchange’s initial vision was to ensure that small and diverse businesses have equal opportunities to compete. 

To help Tier I suppliers connect with the MBEs attending the Opportunity Exchange, Toyota provides a matchmaking app that allows Tier I suppliers to list their needs while diverse suppliers can highlight their capabilities. Attendees get a match report, so they know which businesses are looking for the goods and services they offer. 

“It makes it more efficient,” Greene said. “We tell small businesses, don’t just show up and say, ‘Hey, can I do business with you?’ You’ve got to be strategic and understand who your potential customer is before you talk to them. The app gives diverse businesses the opportunity to do that.”

Alex Banayan: Finding the third door

The Opportunity Exchange opened with motivational speaker Alex Banayan, author of “The Third Door.” The book highlights how some of the world’s most successful people launched their careers.

He spoke about his seven-year journey to track down Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Quincy Jones, Steven Spielberg, Maya Angelou, Warren Buffett and dozens of other successful people. Banayan concluded one thing they all had in common was that they took “the third door.”

Banayan compares life to a nightclub, where there are three ways to get in. The first door is the main entrance, where he said 99% of people wait in line hoping to get in. The second door is the VIP entrance, where billionaires and celebrities slip through. The third door, according to Banayan, is one no one tells you about and requires stepping out of line and finding a less conventional way in. 

Jim Holloway: A brighter future together

After Banayan’s speech and a break for lunch, Toyota’s Jim Holloway, retired general manager of purchasing supplier development, welcomed attendees and encouraged them to let the event’s theme motivate them as they navigated the Opportunity Exchange.

“We started this event 34 years ago because we recognized that our supply base shared our belief in the inherent value of diversity of thought, experiences and backgrounds throughout the supply chain, and we wanted to create a forum to support their efforts,” he said. “Our goal is to inspire you to move forward and build relationships that will lead us all toward a brighter future together. It is critical to Toyota that we advocate for diverse supplier inclusion throughout all tiers of our supply chain, and our suppliers’ commitment and support are crucial for us to do so.”

Chris Nielsen: Meeting the challenges of the future

Chris Nielsen, executive vice president of product support and chief quality officer, echoed Holloway’s remarks and highlighted the importance of working and learning together to navigate changes in the automotive industry. 

“The automotive industry is facing unprecedented change as we dramatically increase electrification and connectivity while developing our mobility future,” Nielsen said. “It is times like these that we need greater diversity of thought and partnerships to accelerate innovation in all that we do. We believe that input from a range of talented people will help drive our business.  We’ve seen how agile and nimble our suppliers can be and, together, we are set to meet the mobility challenges of the future.”

Nielsen, the second buyer hired for Toyota in North America, recalled attending the first Opportunity Exchange with about 100 people in a conference room in Lexington, Kentucky, with only a few supplier booths. 

“It’s encouraging to see how it has grown into what it is today,” he said. “Our goal now is to provide our suppliers and MBEs the opportunity to establish a journey together – full of innovative ideas for advancement.  That’s why we continue to prioritize Opportunity Exchange each year – to ensure we’re working with and fully engaging across our entire supply chain.”

Robert Young: Celebrating supplier engagement

Robert Young, Toyota’s retired group vice president of purchasing supplier development, emphasized the company’s commitment to collaboration across the supply chain. 

“We welcome the innovation, flexibility and speed that comes from having diverse companies in the supply chain,” he said. “At Toyota, we believe our suppliers should represent our team members, dealers and, most importantly, our customers.  It’s critical to remember our customers are your customers, too. Having a ‘customers-first mindset’ is a part of why having diversity in our supply chain is so important.”

Young encouraged suppliers to remain focused on best practices, including engagement and measurement. “As we all know, what gets measured gets managed,” he said. 

The program concluded with a fireside chat between Greene and Michael Norman. He is a world champion sprinter and two-time Olympic competitor with multiple gold medals, including one at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. 

Attendees then headed to the trade show floor, where they connected with Tier I suppliers and Toyota buyers.

“We always have great success stories,” Greene said. “Those suppliers and MBEs who are intentional about making connections using the app always say that it is beneficial, and they are happy with the connections they’ve made. Sometimes our diverse suppliers end up meeting each other and doing business together. We are opening up opportunities, which is what the day is all about.” 

To learn more about Toyota Motor North America Inc., visit Toyota.com.