Toyota Unveils National Customer Center, New Customer Experience


COLUMBUS, Ind., (August 2, 2005) - Toyota, the number one selling lift truck supplier in the United States, today celebrated the grand opening of its National Customer Center (NCC) at its manufacturing facility, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (TIEM). The $11-million investment added 108,000 square feet to the TIEM campus through an expanded distribution center and a state-of-the-art customer center designed to offer the ultimate customer experience.

"Our customers drive our business," said Dr. Shankar Basu, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. (TMHU) "This celebration is not only to commemorate a new facility; it is to mark a commitment to our customers. Our National Customer Center is the world leader and embodies the level of support we provide our customers on a daily basis."

As part of the world-class experience, Toyota offers to select customers the availability of the company's corporate jet to visit the new NCC. Once on site, customers enter the grand 360-degree showroom where they are surrounded by a comprehensive collection of current Toyota lift trucks and the first lift truck sold in the United States. Guests then are led into the theater, where they listen to a customized presentation in a theater-style setting.

Following the presentation, the theater wall recedes into the ceiling revealing customer-specific lift trucks at work in the demonstration room, which features adjustable bleacher seating for up to 120 guests. The entire facility boasts industry-leading touch screen audio/visual systems by Crestron and advanced-lighting systems by Lutron.

After the product demonstrations, visitors move to the Toyota Hall of Fame, which showcases the history of Toyota's material-handling business since its inception in 1967 in the United States.

They then receive an in-depth manufacturing facility tour to conclude their visit.

"This facility and overall customer experience illustrates Toyota's commitment to its dealer body," said Al Rawson, president of Atlas Toyota Material Handling and chairman of Toyota's National Dealer Advisory Council. "From the flight on the corporate jet to the customized presentations and demonstrations, it is clear Toyota is committed to helping its dealers better service customers."

To further support its customers, Toyota also completed a newly expanded sales office and 43,500-square-foot expansion of its distribution center. With this expansion, the TIEM campus now totals 859,000 square feet of manufacturing and support space and houses 759 Toyota associates.

Since the first lift truck rolled off the line at TIEM in 1990, Toyota steadily has penetrated the U.S. market. In fact, this is the third consecutive year Toyota has been ranked the largest supplier of lift trucks in the United States, according to third-party research conducted by Crist Information & Research. Crist previously named Toyota the nation's largest lift truck supplier in 2003. In 2002, they named Toyota the nation's number one selling full-line supplier of lift trucks.

TMHU is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. Built on a reputation for excellence, Toyota is known for its quality, reliability and durability. Third-party research indicates Toyota lift trucks rank highest in quality and value among the top competitors. Quality is the hallmark of Toyota's world-renowned Toyota Production System practiced at all Toyota manufacturing facilities, including TIEM in Columbus, Ind. Most of the Toyota lift trucks sold in the United States are manufactured at TIEM.

Toyota's commitment to excellence in customer service extends nationwide. Seventy authorized Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers with a total of 186 dealership locations throughout the United States offer comprehensive customer service support, including one-stop shopping for both new and Certified Used lift trucks, parts, service and financing. For more information on TMHU, please visit www.toyotaforklift.com or call 1-800-226-0009.

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