Toyota Presented With Corporation of the Year Award by the National Minority Supplier Development Council

Toyota was presented with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Corporation of the Year award by Harriet Michel, former NMSDC President, at the gala Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange, held this year in Detroit, Michigan from October 23-25. The award was given to Robert Young, Toyota Motor North America R&D (TMNA R&D) group vice president, Purchasing & Supplier Engineering Division. In the last 45 years of NMSDC’s history, Toyota is one of the four corporations to have won the corporation of the year award more than three times. Toyota spends more than $3 Billion with over 300 different suppliers and Toyota’s suppliers spend nearly $1 Billion with 1500 different suppliers at the Tier 2 level.

“We are truly honored by this recognition and can’t thank NMSDC, its regional affiliates and corporate members for their tremendous support as we have integrated procurement and development best practices into our supply base development process. This recognition reflects the strong work being done across Toyota North America to enhance our inclusive sourcing practices and our collaboration with our supplier partners. We are only as good as our supply team and we are so fortunate to have a great team supporting our development of “Ever Better Vehicles.”

NMSDC’s acting president Louis Green praised the honorees, saying, “We are truly proud to recognize the leaders among our corporate members, and the individuals who work to advance minority supplier diversity and development; and to recognize, too, the outstanding minority business enterprises in our network for their business growth and development, operational success, support of other minority businesses and active participation in the community.”

The National Minority Supplier Development Council’s Conference included more than 6,000 corporate CEO’s, procurement executives and supplier diversity professionals from the top multinational companies and organizations, including Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American leading business owners. The aim of this gathering was to enhance their collective efforts to improve and advocate towards more participation by minority-owned firms in this global corporate supply group.

Adrienne Trimble, general manager TMNA Diversity & Inclusion, was acknowledged at this ceremony as one of the top 45 individuals within this NMSDC network, MBE or corporate, NMSDC presidents, national as well as regional members  who was most effective in growing and creating the NMSDC throughout its 45-year history.

Impacted by the Conference is Detroit, the host city, with $7.5 million in total which includes an estimate of more than $1 million in state and local taxes with more than 1,400 jobs financed.