Interview With Toyota CEO, Jim Lentz
This week, Toyota Newsroom sat down with Toyota North America CEO to discuss his path to leadership and what his day to day life as a CEO is really like. Take a look at some of our favorite quotes below.
On Success: “The other thing that I understood was I had always put my future in the hands of my manager, and I realized that was a huge mistake. Only one person is responsible for your career and that’s you.”
On Being a Boss: “Back in the day, if you were very dictatorial in your management style, you got exactly what someone asked you to do. Not less, but not more. Today if people really understand why they’re doing something, I think they give more.”
On What Keeps Him Up At Night: “Today it’s the price of oil, for a lot of different reasons. Obviously it’s difficult for us to forecast demand – on trucks and SUVs especially – not knowing exactly where it’s going to fall out. But probably the more difficult part about that is it may mask trends in the marketplace that we can’t see because of it.”
On Work/Life Balance: “My life can sometimes be 48/7. This week is an example. Tuesday I had an officer’s meeting in Japan. But I had to be in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday night for a reception and a dinner. So I spend the day in Japan, fly all night, get there the same day that I left, do my reception dinner, speak to 800 attendees the next morning at a fundraiser for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Iowa, fly back home, have three conference calls until 1 a.m. with Japan.”
On Travel: “I love traveling. I like seeing new places and meeting new people. But last year I was gone 180 nights . . . I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I can tell you being a CEO with all the time constraints, and now being in charge of manufacturing as well, it’s a tough grind . . . And frankly, the only way to keep your sanity is to have a strong partner at home . . . Spouses are the real unsung heroes of CEOs.”
On His Job: “I love thinking about the future. . . And I think part of it too is watching people develop and progress in the company, knowing that’s the bench of the future leaders, so that we continue with this company that develops people from within.”
“Meet the Man | Corporate.” Meet the Man | Corporate. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2016. <http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/jim-lentz-ceo-day-life.htm>.
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Toyota Gives Man Brand New Tundra
Victor Sheppard, a man from Houma, Louisiana, was just given a brand new 2016 Toyota Tundra in exchange for his 2007 model.
Why?
Because it had a lot of miles on it.
Still confused?
Read on to hear Victor’s incredible Tundra story.
Sheppard’s Tundra was one of the very first trucks to be built in San Antonio, Texas at Toyota’s Manufacturing Plant. Victor’s job requires quite a bit of travel, so him and his Tundra have traveled from his home state of Louisiana to Virginia, North Dakota, and Wyoming, logging over 125,000 miles per year. Yes that’s right, per year! This Tundra has over one million miles on it. Did we mention it’s still equipped with the original engine, transmission, and is even sporting the original paint job? Amazing.
The secret to his vehicle’s long life is regular maintenance, claims Sheppard, who visited his local Toyota dealer at least 117 times over his past nine years of ownership. Toyota plans to take the truck apart in order to properly examine and study how each component of the vehicle has fared over time.
“How This Man Got a New Tundra for Free from Toyota.” Digital Trends. N.p., 12 May 2016. Web. 13 May 2016. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/toyota-million-mile-tundra-news-report-pics/>.
In the past few years, concerns have arisen about the automotive industry’s lack of progress and advancement. Many people think that given our technological advanced society, vehicles should be well beyond where they are currently. Toyota, who has been committed to building the cars of the future, has decided to speed up this process by investing in STEM subjects. STEM, which is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, is imperative for future success in the automotive industry. The people who study these subjects go on to be the people who design, create, and build smarter and safer vehicles.
Toyota’s latest effort in investing in STEM is a one million dollar grant that has been given to the STEM Program at Georgetown College. The grant will help support education programs for students who hope to be teachers in any of the STEM fields. This money on top of the 1.5 million dollar donation Georgetown has already received from Toyota previously.
“At Toyota, we believe investing in education is an investment in our future, for our community and our company,” said Wil James, president of TMMK. “Partnering with institutions like Georgetown College to advance STEM opportunities won’t just have an impact on how we make cars in the future; we believe it will help shape the future of mobility for our society.”
“Toyota Says Thanks a Million to Future STEM Scholars | Corporate.” Toyota Says Thanks a Million to Future STEM Scholars | Corporate. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota-million-stem-scholars-april29.htm>.
Happy Mother’s Day From Fiore Toyota!
Can you picture your mom behind the wheel of an all-new Camry or Corolla? What about the rugged Tacoma or the more eco-friendly Prius? No matter what type of Toyota is the right one for your mom we are sure you can find it here at Fiore Toyota so stop by and we will help you find the ultimate give for this Mother’s Day!
We have great news if you live near Hollidaysburg, Altoona, Johnstown, State College, or Indiana, PA and happen to be looking for a reliable and resilient crossover hybrid! Toyota has just released the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and we are scrambling to keep them in stock here at Fiore Toyota. We are also diligently preparing a Research & Review page for our customers so they may be better informed when they visit us at 1000 Logan Boulevard in Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 for a test drive. Look out for this page on our website soon!
Ryan Millen and Christina Fate drove their Toyota RAV4 to their first Rally America series victory this past weekend at the Trail Rally in Portland, Oregon. The duo outperformed all of the other 2WD competitors to not only claim the top spot in this race but to also land the RAV4 in the top five overall.
The first day of the event, Millen and Fate spent the day figuring out how to handle the course and the best way to approach all of the various obstacles along the way, which included debris created by the other vehicles in the race.
“The big open class boys were pulling out boulders,” remembered Millen. “There was no way to dodge them all. We bent a wheel, but overall in those rough terrain sections, the RAV was great. It has so much wheel travel; we don’t have to slow down as much as some of the other cars.”
Friday night ended with the team realizing they had a bit of mechanical trouble due to a failed shock, which was luckily easily repaired by crew chief Brian Hoeppner. With a fixed vehicle, the team headed into the Saturday round strong finishing the day in second place after gradually working their way up the ranks.
On the third day, they upped their game even more but briefly thought they were going to end up on the second place spot on the podium as they entered the final stage 13 seconds behind the lead car. However, they pulled ahead to end the day in first place a full 10 seconds ahead of the next car.
“RAV4 SE Wins Oregon Trail Rally | Toyota.” RAV4 SE Wins Oregon Trail Rally | Toyota. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2016. <http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/rav4-se-oregon-rally-2016.htm>.
Prius Parade Sets New World Record
Just recently a total of 332 Prius owners gathered at the Alameda Air Field to participate in a record-breaking hybrid parade. The amount of participants in this parade earned Toyota Motor Company a new Guinness World Record™ for the most vehicles in a hybrid parade.
California has the highest population of Prius owners in the entire country making up about 40 percent of the total.
“The Bay Area is home to hundreds of thousands of proud Prius owners, and we wanted to pay homage to the Prius this Earth Day,” said Pete Carey, vice president and general manager for Toyota Motor Sales. “We wanted to celebrate this revolutionary vehicle and the folks behind the wheel who’ve always been our early-adopters, thinking bigger about their carbon footprint and environmental impact.”
“Prius on Top…Talk about a Broken Record | Toyota.” Toyota USA Newsroom. N.p., 23 Apr. 2016. Web. Apr. 2016. <http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/prius-guiness-world-record-parade-2016.htm>.
Get The 2016 Toyota Sienna Here at Fiore Toyota
The Toyota Sienna earned its nickname as the “Swagger Wagon” for its ability to provide classic minivan essentials while also offering customers a vehicle that provides first-class style from the inside-out. If you have been looking for just such a vehicle to help transport you and your family with the ideal combination of function and style then the 2016 Toyota Sienna is definitely worth a second look and a test drive. You can now learn everything you need to know about this vehicle on the new Research & Review page that has been released by Fiore Toyota.
The 2016 Toyota Sienna comes equipped with 266 horsepower engine that provides power to all five trim level options. These trims also include a number of standard safety features such as Traction Control, Engine Immobilizer, Enhanced Stability Control, and Smart Stop Technology®.
Depending on if you select the L, LE, SE, XLE, or Limited you will be able to select convenience features such as Remote Keyless Entry, Siri® Eyes Free, Cruise Control, HD Radio™, HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, Connected Navigation Scout® GPS Link App, Perforated Leather-Trimmed Heated Front Seats, Blind Spot Monitor, and Pandora®.
After you finish reading our full page head on over to our dealership to take the 2016 Toyota Sienna out for test drive.
Serious Eats & Toyota Date Night Number Five
The newest episode of the Culinary Dream Date experience from Toyota & Serious Eats has been released and this time they are headed down south to Sissy’s Southern Kitchen in Dallas, Texas. In this episode, we meet Liza Garza, who owns and runs this restaurant along with Executive Chef Patton Robertson. Lisa says that the menu at her restaurant is all inspired by comfort food and that she hopes to provide her patrons with a personal experience that makes them feel as if they came over for dinner at her house.
At the beginning of this episode, we see Lisa driving around town in the 2016 Toyota Sienna as she explains that her very hands-on approach to the restaurant required her to have a vehicle that is flexible and can easily accommodate all of her needs.
Later in the episode, we meet the lucky couple, Kelly and John, who have been married for 23 years and are looking forward to an exciting night out. The two discuss their love of good food and their lifestyle which includes a Toyota Sienna that they have owned since 2008. Once they arrive at Sissy’s, we get to see some of the incredible culinary delights that they had the pleasure of dining on that evening.
See the full episode below.
New Page Now Available On 2016 Toyota 4Runner
The summer is just around the corner and we are sure that many of our customers are looking for a fun, powerful, and efficient new SUV that will be able to handle all of their weekend excursions and adventures in and around the State College, Johnstown, Hollidaysburg, Altoona, and Indiana, PA areas. If that is true, then you should stop by Fiore Toyota where we have the 2016 Toyota 4Runner available to fulfill all of your adventurous activities while also being a great car for your day-to-day needs. If you want a bit more information before you stop by for a test drive then you can read up on this vehicle through our new Research & Review page.
A few of the features that you can find on this vehicle include Anti-Theft with Engine Immobilizer, Vehicle Stability Control, Daytime Running Lights, Integrated Fog Lights, Integrated Backup Camera Display, Siri® Eyes Free, Available Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, Available Power Moonroof, Available 20” Alloy Wheels, Available Roadside Assistance, Available Power Moonroof, and more.
This model is also available in three trim levels options which are all powered by a 270 horsepower 4.0L V6 Engine and a Five-Speed Automatic Transmission.
Learn more about the 2016 Toyota 4Runner on the full page and then stop by 1000 Logan Boulevard Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 to see it in person.
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