Looking for More : Toyota's top man says there is always room for improvement
05-17-06, 06:54 AM
#1
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Looking for More : Toyota's top man says there is always room for improvement
Looking for More
Toyota's top man says there is always room for improvement
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 05/16/06, 2:31 pm et
After climbing to the top of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Jim Press last week was named president of umbrella company Toyota Motor North America.
His promotion comes after a sexual harassment scandal that forced the resignation of Hideaki Otaka, the former boss of Toyota Motor North America.
Respected as one of the brightest minds in the automotive business, Press now will oversee the holding company for Toyota's sales and manufacturing units in America.
Just a few days before the promotion was announced, Press was interviewed by Los Angeles Bureau Chief Mark Rechtin about the challenges Toyota faces.
Toyota has made a habit out of hitting volume numbers ahead of schedule. What is the current target for Toyota, Lexus and Scion for 2010? Are there target years for 2.5 million or 3 million units?
Our focus is not necessarily just volume, and so the result is not as predictable as if we were just seeking a single number. We have a planning guide that we use to forecast capacity required for production. The dealers need that for their sales and service planning. We have been focusing on 2.5 million, with the timeframe probably around 2008 or something in general terms. But that is not a goal, so we could actually achieve that before that date. The function of that number is to have capacity available. If demand arrives sooner, and we have production capacity then we can achieve a higher sales number.
In April, Toyota outsold DaimlerChrysler in U.S. sales for the first time. Was this cause for celebration, or just another work day?
We didn't even track that. First of all, we focus on what we didn't do right because we missed some numbers. We didn't do as well as we could have done or should have done. Secondly, we are benefiting from a number of new products. That's an unusual occurrence that has given us a tailwind and which was accelerated by concern over fuel prices. The result was that our sales were a little higher and theirs were a little lower. But it necessarily doesn't reflect what we did. If the market for them was constrained by fuel prices, then we really didn't achieve anything. When it comes to competition, we don't look outside the window.
How would you rate the progress in Toyota dealers getting up to speed for larger volumes, and for making room for bigger trucks in their service bays?
It's right on target. We could go to a grand opening every day. Went to a Toyota dealer on Monday in Memphis. The Wolf Chase UAG store is a 60,000 square-foot facility. It's a perfect example of coming on stream at the right time. The dealers have made the commitments. Jerry Bean's new Lexus store in West Kendall, Fla., store is four stories tall, it's bigger than Lexus national headquarters. It may even have more employees than Lexus headquarters.
We recently published a report detailing some Avalon quality woes in year one of the redesign, and now we're hearing buzz about glitches on the new Camry out the gate. What can Toyota do to ensure that these mistakes don't become institutional as volumes grow?
Our startup on Camry has been really good. Warranty claims are down from the same period of the previous generation Camry. We have also tried to create a system that insulates the customers from these issues. Where we have startup problems, we address them quickly and keep a low inventory, and therefore the number of units that don't have the latest component is really minimal. The Camry transmission, they made the changes within a couple weeks, so the number of units affected is really small. In Avalon, we had issues that we were able to capture quickly and keep the universe of affected units small. We have had one ES 350 transmission fail and we gave that customer a new car.
Every manufacturer has issues like that. We've never been perfect. The difference is now many people are now looking for the things we haven't done perfectly. If you took this magnifying glass and inspected everybody's product, nobody would pass. We've never been in the position where people are using the magnifying glass that they are now. We still have far fewer issues relative to our competitors, and if you look at the ultimate measurement, which is loyalty, we really do well. That loyalty indicator is the result of the product, dealer treatment, price, resale value, durability, reliability and the pleasure derived from using the vehicle. Add it all up and our loyalty is the highest and continues to get better.
Obviously, we can try to have zero defects and never have something go wrong. But one thing we try to do is learn quickly and respond, and use those experiences to get better next time. The underlying DNA of our company and organization is built on quality. If you look at the number of new vehicles that have been designed and launched, and our growth in volume at 500,000 a year globally for a number of years, and yet look at Power or Consumer Reports, we are still are the highest rank in terms of leading our segments. Could we do better? Yes. Will we? Yes. The Camrys we're selling now won't fail. This fixed transmission will probably go 500 years.
Are you planning on acceleration of hybrid development plans? Or are you seeing a more cautious market place in terms of demand? Is there any difference between demand for Prius, as opposed to demand for hybrid versions of regular cars?
The fuel-price situation is volatile. As it goes up, it can go down. It may not be a permanent spike. We are really capacity constrained in building hybrids. Our investment decisions that were made years ago are dictating our capacity and our sales. We're going to double the number of sales of hybrids this year, and we are on target. Our plan for expanding hybrid volume really requires increasing the number of vehicles that have the hybrid option available. That's driven by engineering resources, and it's difficult to accelerate that. We are maximizing production of existing hybrids, and the factory is doing a great job.
How have fuel prices affected the way consumers approach Toyota? What are you doing about the declining sales of your big SUVs? Do you worry about the Tundra launch given the atmosphere?
The full-size truck and SUV market is really huge. When fuel prices spike that they have, some of the emotional buyers move to other vehicles. But the need-based buyers still are going to be there. The affluent buyer is more able to offset the fuel cost and keep buying a large vehicle, because fuel cost isn't as important to their budget. We feel confident that, by offering need-based buyers and true truckers an efficient, high quality, good value, full-size pickup or SUV, we'll get good share in a market that is close to 3 million units. Full-size truck and SUV sales in America are equal to about 50 percent of the entire industry in Japan.
Which makes all this talk about "the rise of subcompact cars" seem a little silly, when that segment only sells a few hundred thousand units in America…
A contractor can't go to work in a Focus, but you still have to be able to serve that market. If you already have small cars engineered for other markets, the marginal profits may be good, and we need these products for our entry-level customers. These are not necessarily great business decisions, if we were just making the car based on the profit of these products alone. I don't think subcompacts will be such a huge market. It will get crowded very fast, and there's product parity in that segment.
What is on the to-do list for Lexus? Should Lexus have a performance sub-brand like M or AMG? Or are hybrids going to take care of that image?
As Lexus becomes a global brand, and the products become more emotionally fulfilling, the performance side of these vehicles is an opportunity. We are studying the launching of a true performance brand derivative for Lexus. With the new LS and hybrid, we are going to expand the Lexus brand coverage in our product portfolio upward into more of a prestige flagship. Based on how the LS 600h (hybrid) does, and where the trends are for the industry, we'll see about expanding into other prestige products. Aside from that, we want to make sure the customer experience continues to appreciate as other brands and dealer organizations can replicate what Lexus has done in the past.
Can either Scion or Lexus volumes get too big?
Absolutely. If we succumb to the siren on the rocks and go for short-term return and profits, we'll lose the goose that's laying the golden egg. It will affect our ability for Lexus and Scion to maintain exclusivity, customer satisfaction and treatment. We want to help our dealers protect their margins. We want to make sure residual values stay strong. If we just wanted to maximize sales, we would sacrifice those really important attributes. We're not rushing in. In fact, we're short on Scion. The factory has been tremendous to support us with overtime, but that's the capacity we have. We are not going to plan additional capacity.
Toyota is marketing to the U.S. heartland with participation in NASCAR, bass fishing and country music. Do you expect consumers with more conservative views to buy this pitch from a Japanese automaker, no matter how American the automaker claims to be?
Not one thing is going to have an effect on perceptions like that. Our objective is not to change the minds of people. It reflects more the desire to share our facts, because it's surprising the number of people who still don't know where our cars are built. In the auto industry, we take it all for granted. But there are people in Scott County, Ky., that don't know where Camrys are built (down the road in Georgetown). It's an effort to try to provide that education. But advertising doesn't change perceptions, publicity doesn't change perceptions, but hardware does.
Is it possible to get any sort of return on investment in Scion's out-there marketing? Is there anything that can show what you are doing has any direct impact on sales?
The effectiveness is a combination of the sales result, the demographic and the level of customer satisfaction. One of the key indicators is the percent of Scion customers that have never been in a Toyota dealer before, which is running near 80 percent. The average driver age is around 31. There's a high level of satisfaction with the process used in the dealership and also in accessorizing the cars. Our volume is up 10 percent, we continue to be in single-digit days supply. We are even beginning to see some outflow from Scion into Toyota. We're seeing it with Scion owners going to the FJ Cruiser.
The U.S. market is crucial to Toyota's sales and profit goals. Yet the Japanese control the product development hierarchy. When will Toyota be "global" enough to allow an American to be the chief engineer on a product? Especially when you have an all-American product like the Tundra…
The philosophy is the best person for the position is the one who gets it, regardless of where they were born. The product development organization in our company is very deep in terms of the DNA of what makes a Toyota a Toyota. That's something that's learned over a lot of time through lots of experience. (Tundra chief engineer) Yuichiro Obu has that depth of experience. He did the Tacoma, and he's got years of Toyota DNA. In our system, it's a lot easier to take a seasoned Toyota engineer and have him learn the market needs, than to take a relatively new engineer who may have a knowledge of market, but who doesn't have the depth of heritage of Toyota. You can't really say it's Japan-driven or America-driven. It's Toyota driven. We have gotten to the point where the Toyota culture is really the dominant force.
In a related vein, as overseas markets have gained in importance, Toyota has allowed you and a couple other foreigners to become managing officers of the company. But when do you think you (or another non-Japanese) will become a member of Toyota's board of directors?
That's a better question for my superiors. There is a ton of capability on that board, a tremendous amount of wisdom and accumulated Toyota knowledge, experience and heritage. I respect the commitment to make those appointments based on who is best qualified, and not succumb to pressure to put a token person from another country or another gender for the purpose of public relations or to make people feel good. I don't consider myself as qualified as the newest board member. He deserves to be there. The birthplace of our board members is the least important element in the successful operation of the company. The culture of Toyota has a whole lot more to do with it.
What keeps you awake at night? What is missing from Toyota's magic formula?
My biggest worry is that we begin to believe our own headlines. I think that humility and modesty are really important attributes. If you ever think of yourself as a red tomato, you'll never continue to grow. You have to think of yourself as a green tomato. A part of that is the launch of the new Tundra. We're up against very strong products. If anybody at Toyota thinks that we can take for granted any kind of success with trucks, they should look at how well we've done with T100 and the first-generation Tundra. It's going to take a maximum effort.
We're also coping with growth. As you grow, you keep in mind the things that got you where you are. Are all the things we're supposed to be doing really being done? Are we still doing the basics in the right way? You never graduate to the point of, "That's taken care of." It's all additive. It doesn't go away. We have to be just like we've never sold a car before today. That said, the company doesn't keep me up at night because we are blessed with great products, great dealers and great associates. My job is to make sure I sleep well at night, and give my associates sleepless nights. Maybe you should ask them what keeps them up at night.
Given the harassment lawsuit filed against Mr. Otaka, could you describe your feelings about the idea of sexual harassment in the workplace? Might this be a matter of cultural differences, in terms of what is accepted in Japanese offices as opposed to what is accepted here in America?
In our culture here, we have a very aggressive zero-tolerance process for investigating and remediating any kind of issue like that. The cases that come to mind that we've worked through are not just Japanese staff, they involve Americans. This is not a cultural different. From my experience here, the staff from Japan is more cautious because they recognize they are visitors in a foreign environment.
source : autoweek
Toyota's top man says there is always room for improvement
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 05/16/06, 2:31 pm et
After climbing to the top of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Jim Press last week was named president of umbrella company Toyota Motor North America.
His promotion comes after a sexual harassment scandal that forced the resignation of Hideaki Otaka, the former boss of Toyota Motor North America.
Respected as one of the brightest minds in the automotive business, Press now will oversee the holding company for Toyota's sales and manufacturing units in America.
Just a few days before the promotion was announced, Press was interviewed by Los Angeles Bureau Chief Mark Rechtin about the challenges Toyota faces.
Toyota has made a habit out of hitting volume numbers ahead of schedule. What is the current target for Toyota, Lexus and Scion for 2010? Are there target years for 2.5 million or 3 million units?
Our focus is not necessarily just volume, and so the result is not as predictable as if we were just seeking a single number. We have a planning guide that we use to forecast capacity required for production. The dealers need that for their sales and service planning. We have been focusing on 2.5 million, with the timeframe probably around 2008 or something in general terms. But that is not a goal, so we could actually achieve that before that date. The function of that number is to have capacity available. If demand arrives sooner, and we have production capacity then we can achieve a higher sales number.
In April, Toyota outsold DaimlerChrysler in U.S. sales for the first time. Was this cause for celebration, or just another work day?
We didn't even track that. First of all, we focus on what we didn't do right because we missed some numbers. We didn't do as well as we could have done or should have done. Secondly, we are benefiting from a number of new products. That's an unusual occurrence that has given us a tailwind and which was accelerated by concern over fuel prices. The result was that our sales were a little higher and theirs were a little lower. But it necessarily doesn't reflect what we did. If the market for them was constrained by fuel prices, then we really didn't achieve anything. When it comes to competition, we don't look outside the window.
How would you rate the progress in Toyota dealers getting up to speed for larger volumes, and for making room for bigger trucks in their service bays?
It's right on target. We could go to a grand opening every day. Went to a Toyota dealer on Monday in Memphis. The Wolf Chase UAG store is a 60,000 square-foot facility. It's a perfect example of coming on stream at the right time. The dealers have made the commitments. Jerry Bean's new Lexus store in West Kendall, Fla., store is four stories tall, it's bigger than Lexus national headquarters. It may even have more employees than Lexus headquarters.
We recently published a report detailing some Avalon quality woes in year one of the redesign, and now we're hearing buzz about glitches on the new Camry out the gate. What can Toyota do to ensure that these mistakes don't become institutional as volumes grow?
Our startup on Camry has been really good. Warranty claims are down from the same period of the previous generation Camry. We have also tried to create a system that insulates the customers from these issues. Where we have startup problems, we address them quickly and keep a low inventory, and therefore the number of units that don't have the latest component is really minimal. The Camry transmission, they made the changes within a couple weeks, so the number of units affected is really small. In Avalon, we had issues that we were able to capture quickly and keep the universe of affected units small. We have had one ES 350 transmission fail and we gave that customer a new car.
Every manufacturer has issues like that. We've never been perfect. The difference is now many people are now looking for the things we haven't done perfectly. If you took this magnifying glass and inspected everybody's product, nobody would pass. We've never been in the position where people are using the magnifying glass that they are now. We still have far fewer issues relative to our competitors, and if you look at the ultimate measurement, which is loyalty, we really do well. That loyalty indicator is the result of the product, dealer treatment, price, resale value, durability, reliability and the pleasure derived from using the vehicle. Add it all up and our loyalty is the highest and continues to get better.
Obviously, we can try to have zero defects and never have something go wrong. But one thing we try to do is learn quickly and respond, and use those experiences to get better next time. The underlying DNA of our company and organization is built on quality. If you look at the number of new vehicles that have been designed and launched, and our growth in volume at 500,000 a year globally for a number of years, and yet look at Power or Consumer Reports, we are still are the highest rank in terms of leading our segments. Could we do better? Yes. Will we? Yes. The Camrys we're selling now won't fail. This fixed transmission will probably go 500 years.
Are you planning on acceleration of hybrid development plans? Or are you seeing a more cautious market place in terms of demand? Is there any difference between demand for Prius, as opposed to demand for hybrid versions of regular cars?
The fuel-price situation is volatile. As it goes up, it can go down. It may not be a permanent spike. We are really capacity constrained in building hybrids. Our investment decisions that were made years ago are dictating our capacity and our sales. We're going to double the number of sales of hybrids this year, and we are on target. Our plan for expanding hybrid volume really requires increasing the number of vehicles that have the hybrid option available. That's driven by engineering resources, and it's difficult to accelerate that. We are maximizing production of existing hybrids, and the factory is doing a great job.
How have fuel prices affected the way consumers approach Toyota? What are you doing about the declining sales of your big SUVs? Do you worry about the Tundra launch given the atmosphere?
The full-size truck and SUV market is really huge. When fuel prices spike that they have, some of the emotional buyers move to other vehicles. But the need-based buyers still are going to be there. The affluent buyer is more able to offset the fuel cost and keep buying a large vehicle, because fuel cost isn't as important to their budget. We feel confident that, by offering need-based buyers and true truckers an efficient, high quality, good value, full-size pickup or SUV, we'll get good share in a market that is close to 3 million units. Full-size truck and SUV sales in America are equal to about 50 percent of the entire industry in Japan.
Which makes all this talk about "the rise of subcompact cars" seem a little silly, when that segment only sells a few hundred thousand units in America…
A contractor can't go to work in a Focus, but you still have to be able to serve that market. If you already have small cars engineered for other markets, the marginal profits may be good, and we need these products for our entry-level customers. These are not necessarily great business decisions, if we were just making the car based on the profit of these products alone. I don't think subcompacts will be such a huge market. It will get crowded very fast, and there's product parity in that segment.
What is on the to-do list for Lexus? Should Lexus have a performance sub-brand like M or AMG? Or are hybrids going to take care of that image?
As Lexus becomes a global brand, and the products become more emotionally fulfilling, the performance side of these vehicles is an opportunity. We are studying the launching of a true performance brand derivative for Lexus. With the new LS and hybrid, we are going to expand the Lexus brand coverage in our product portfolio upward into more of a prestige flagship. Based on how the LS 600h (hybrid) does, and where the trends are for the industry, we'll see about expanding into other prestige products. Aside from that, we want to make sure the customer experience continues to appreciate as other brands and dealer organizations can replicate what Lexus has done in the past.
Can either Scion or Lexus volumes get too big?
Absolutely. If we succumb to the siren on the rocks and go for short-term return and profits, we'll lose the goose that's laying the golden egg. It will affect our ability for Lexus and Scion to maintain exclusivity, customer satisfaction and treatment. We want to help our dealers protect their margins. We want to make sure residual values stay strong. If we just wanted to maximize sales, we would sacrifice those really important attributes. We're not rushing in. In fact, we're short on Scion. The factory has been tremendous to support us with overtime, but that's the capacity we have. We are not going to plan additional capacity.
Toyota is marketing to the U.S. heartland with participation in NASCAR, bass fishing and country music. Do you expect consumers with more conservative views to buy this pitch from a Japanese automaker, no matter how American the automaker claims to be?
Not one thing is going to have an effect on perceptions like that. Our objective is not to change the minds of people. It reflects more the desire to share our facts, because it's surprising the number of people who still don't know where our cars are built. In the auto industry, we take it all for granted. But there are people in Scott County, Ky., that don't know where Camrys are built (down the road in Georgetown). It's an effort to try to provide that education. But advertising doesn't change perceptions, publicity doesn't change perceptions, but hardware does.
Is it possible to get any sort of return on investment in Scion's out-there marketing? Is there anything that can show what you are doing has any direct impact on sales?
The effectiveness is a combination of the sales result, the demographic and the level of customer satisfaction. One of the key indicators is the percent of Scion customers that have never been in a Toyota dealer before, which is running near 80 percent. The average driver age is around 31. There's a high level of satisfaction with the process used in the dealership and also in accessorizing the cars. Our volume is up 10 percent, we continue to be in single-digit days supply. We are even beginning to see some outflow from Scion into Toyota. We're seeing it with Scion owners going to the FJ Cruiser.
The U.S. market is crucial to Toyota's sales and profit goals. Yet the Japanese control the product development hierarchy. When will Toyota be "global" enough to allow an American to be the chief engineer on a product? Especially when you have an all-American product like the Tundra…
The philosophy is the best person for the position is the one who gets it, regardless of where they were born. The product development organization in our company is very deep in terms of the DNA of what makes a Toyota a Toyota. That's something that's learned over a lot of time through lots of experience. (Tundra chief engineer) Yuichiro Obu has that depth of experience. He did the Tacoma, and he's got years of Toyota DNA. In our system, it's a lot easier to take a seasoned Toyota engineer and have him learn the market needs, than to take a relatively new engineer who may have a knowledge of market, but who doesn't have the depth of heritage of Toyota. You can't really say it's Japan-driven or America-driven. It's Toyota driven. We have gotten to the point where the Toyota culture is really the dominant force.
In a related vein, as overseas markets have gained in importance, Toyota has allowed you and a couple other foreigners to become managing officers of the company. But when do you think you (or another non-Japanese) will become a member of Toyota's board of directors?
That's a better question for my superiors. There is a ton of capability on that board, a tremendous amount of wisdom and accumulated Toyota knowledge, experience and heritage. I respect the commitment to make those appointments based on who is best qualified, and not succumb to pressure to put a token person from another country or another gender for the purpose of public relations or to make people feel good. I don't consider myself as qualified as the newest board member. He deserves to be there. The birthplace of our board members is the least important element in the successful operation of the company. The culture of Toyota has a whole lot more to do with it.
What keeps you awake at night? What is missing from Toyota's magic formula?
My biggest worry is that we begin to believe our own headlines. I think that humility and modesty are really important attributes. If you ever think of yourself as a red tomato, you'll never continue to grow. You have to think of yourself as a green tomato. A part of that is the launch of the new Tundra. We're up against very strong products. If anybody at Toyota thinks that we can take for granted any kind of success with trucks, they should look at how well we've done with T100 and the first-generation Tundra. It's going to take a maximum effort.
We're also coping with growth. As you grow, you keep in mind the things that got you where you are. Are all the things we're supposed to be doing really being done? Are we still doing the basics in the right way? You never graduate to the point of, "That's taken care of." It's all additive. It doesn't go away. We have to be just like we've never sold a car before today. That said, the company doesn't keep me up at night because we are blessed with great products, great dealers and great associates. My job is to make sure I sleep well at night, and give my associates sleepless nights. Maybe you should ask them what keeps them up at night.
Given the harassment lawsuit filed against Mr. Otaka, could you describe your feelings about the idea of sexual harassment in the workplace? Might this be a matter of cultural differences, in terms of what is accepted in Japanese offices as opposed to what is accepted here in America?
In our culture here, we have a very aggressive zero-tolerance process for investigating and remediating any kind of issue like that. The cases that come to mind that we've worked through are not just Japanese staff, they involve Americans. This is not a cultural different. From my experience here, the staff from Japan is more cautious because they recognize they are visitors in a foreign environment.
source : autoweek
Last edited by Gojirra99; 05-17-06 at 06:57 AM.
05-17-06, 07:25 AM
#2
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
From Businessweek : Toyota’s Jim Press Discusses the Future
MAY 17, 2006
Toyota North America’s new head on moving the company forward, his role, the competition and alternative fuel
Jim Press was recently appointed president of Toyota Motor North America in New York, the first non-Japanese to hold the post. He previously was president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Press currently is chair of the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, the industry’s top trade group. He is the first international auto executive to be elected to the post. Press was recently in Detroit delivering a speech to a businesswomen’s group, InForum, on new roles for women in the auto industry. Here’s his take on Toyota moving forward, his role, the competition and alternative fuel. Advertisement
MK: Can you explain your new job?
JP: It is primarily the face of Toyota in terms of the media, public affairs, government relationships, Japan-American cultural kinds of things and relations with states where we have plant site studies, philanthropy. It is the one place to go for the single consistent Toyota story. It is where the common interests of our operating affiliates come together. It’s where we can help the affiliates come together while retaining their independence but finding opportunities for better coordination and consolidation.
MK: What would you like to accomplish?
JP: My main goal is that is of Toyota being the most admired and respected company, continuing our growth in customer and dealer satisfaction, having as much success five years from now as we have today, and having the North American entities become more self reliant with the resources they need to make that happen. We can become self-reliant and support the global Toyota with our resources, with our direction and our guidance within (global Toyota’s) strategy. We’ll be more efficient, more effective, hopefully with more resources, more production capacity, continued contribution to the economy and continued investments here.
MK: Do you feel Toyota is wearing a target on its back since it recently surpassed Chrysler in the U.S. and is nearing No. 1 in the world?
JP: As opposed to a target, I’d say we’re operating more under a microscope or magnifying glass. The things we are doing have more meaning or more interest in the media than before. As you said, we established our reputation on quality so now if we have a minor quality issue, it is a major story. If a company that has had major quality issues has a minor quality issue, it’s not a story. So we realize that and actually relish it because, in a way, having that target on our back is a great motivator to make sure we continue moving forward, continue growing and doing the things that made us successful and not becoming complacent and not get arrogant. As we grow, we have to fight the big company disease. One of my goals in my new job at TMA is have TMA help police and assure that the target doesn’t get hit … we become the steward of our reputation.
MK: What’s your view on hybrid technology?
JP: We recognize more and more hybrid technology is going to be a key technology for the future success of this business. Hybrid is going to be hybrid diesel. Fuel cell cars are hybrids. The internal combustion engine cars we are selling today are hybrids. Flex fuel vehicles will be hybrids. Hybrid is the enabling technology that makes all of those more efficient. Diesel, gasoline, hydrogen and biodiesel are all fuels that feed through a common system, which is a hybrid. This is the thing we’re developing. Hybrid is the way you gain the synergy of combining stored energy that you store when you don’t need it and release when you do.
MK: You are chairman of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the industry’s top trade group, and you are the first international automotive executive to do so. How’s that going?
JP: It’s a time of turbulence and great interest in fuel. We’ve been dealing with a war of words over who is at fault with high gas prices. There are those who think the auto industry is at fault because their cars don’t get very good mileage. But the auto industry doesn’t bring the oil out of the ground and price it. OPEC does; oil companies do. The issue of gas prices is a consumer issue and becoming a political one. It’s really a great time to have all this stuff stirring around. Ten years ago, CAFE was an issue for us but the public wasn’t involved. Now they are engaged. So it is a great time for the industry to utilize its capability to educate through an ad campaign to consumers and thought leaders making decisions on future regulations. It’s a very stimulating opportunity
MK: Does Toyota have plans for ethanol vehicles?
JP: We have no flex fuel vehicles. We’re studying them.
MK: There’s suddenly great interest in it and in Brazil, which has 90 percent of its fleet using ethanol.
JP: As for Brazil, they use sugar to make ethanol. They have lots of it – too much. And sugar cane is more efficient than corn. Their total vehicle population is smaller and more concentrated. Also in Brazil, they have government policy that has driven them in that direction just Europe has one that has encouraged diesel. Here, we don’t have that. So it is really hard for the free market on its own to embrace a fuel that costs more to produce and is less efficient. It’s also a fuel that if we really did embrace it would require a tremendous amount of corn production. That would bring up other issues – land use issues, significant changes to our structure of tariffs on importation. Who is going to pay for ethanol gas stations? There are less than 600 in the country. There’s one in California, and it’s not open to the public. All those flex fuel vehicles sold in California provide a credit for CAFE but they are running on gasoline. We need to have more gas stations and more ethanol available. E10 we can run through regular gas station and today’s cars can use it. If we all went to E0 today, we’d get at least 10 percent more out of our gallon of gas, which may be a way to phase it. But now it doesn’t have the same CAFE credit. So there are obstacles. Ethanol definitely helps in the cause of dependence on foreign oil.
MK: Studies show people are more interested in that issue – dependence on foreign oil – than the environment. Do you find that’s true?
JP: People say customers will pay a premium for fuel that doesn’t rely on foreign oil but they won’t pay a premium if it cleans the air. Americans don’t want to pay a premium for anything.
MK: What’s the ultimate answer for our dependence on foreign oil, high gas prices, the environment?
JP: All of them – oil, nuclear, wind, renewable energy. It’s a total. There will be winners and losers. Right now, individual company interests and politics are pulling one way or another, but when we get done, we’ll have a whole menu. Some answers will be better suited to trucks and highways, certain geographic regions and where we have CO2 versus particulate or NOX issues. Other solutions will be better for small cars, cities. There’s a great menu of technology coming out. My interest from an industry standpoint is to get that menu established and help create a vision so we can begin to deploy all technologies for some kind of common unified vision to sustain the development of the industry and sustain the best interests of society and quality of life. We want to have vehicles that allow us to go where we want when we want but not compromise the quality of the air or availability of natural resources.
MK: In terms of Toyota specifically, many so-called experts have listed your challenges. What do you think Toyota’s biggest challenges are?
JP: That we believe our own headlines. We’re not as good as people say when we’re doing well, nor are the other companies as bad as they say they are when they’re not doing well. We may be in third place or second place – who knows or who cares. But we have to think like we’re in fourth place and focus on what we can do better. I got some sage advice from a wise old grandmother. She said green tomatoes always know their futures are still ahead of them while red tomatoes quit growing. So we want to be a green tomato. It gets harder as you grow and have some level of accomplishment. The reality is a lot of our (upward sales) movement and (increased market) share are not just about what we’ve done, but what other companies have done (the drop in share by Ford and General Motors.) Our biggest issue is to make sure as we grow that we remember what got us here. As we do grow, we don’t lose the attributes of what us a success and don’t let attributes that made us a success become attributes of failure. The things that got us here can’t be the things that take us down.
MK: Toyota has built its reputation on bulletproof quality. How do you address that as you grow?
JP: As we create more capacity, we’ve got to achieve better quality. The expectation is better quality, not less. So as we double the capacity and add more plants, they have to have better quality than when we had one plant or two or three. We have to design that into the cars. We have to have better value. Be able to contend with growth and maintain the value that got us where we are.
MK: What keeps you awake at night in this regard?
JP: The worry I have is that if you look at the education of our young people, areas like engineering and basic technology don’t have appeal. We’re producing those kinds of kids. If you go to top engineering schools, they are filled with international students. So what’s that do to our future competitiveness? I’ve seen statistics that should be a wake up call for us: for the first time in history, the forecast is that the next generation will have a lower standard of living than this one. We’d better take note of that. We need to look at what we need to do as a country. It starts with values education and focus on economic development. The U.S. has taken for granted our position on the globe. We held a trade exposition in Japan and struggled to get American companies interested in participating. Maybe, America can’t believe its own headlines. In contrast, look at young people in other countries, like China, where young women are coming out of school so ambitious, aggressive, dynamic and smart. We need to wake up.
MK: You said early in your interview that your goal in your new job was to make Toyota as successful five years from now as it is now. What is your vision for Toyota in North America in five years?
JP: In five years, we’ll continue to enjoy consistent slow and steady growth. We’ll have a more satisfied, loyal customer body. Dealers will have more valuable franchises. There’ll be bigger investments and bigger payoffs. We’ll have a broader portfolio of products. We’ve now filled many of the segments, but, within those segments, we could have more derivatives. We’ll have more capacity. We’ll make a bigger investment and have a bigger presence economically. We’ll have more local content. I saw an article today that the Ford Mustang has 65 percent local content while our U.S.-built Sienna minivan has 90 percent. More of that will occur. We’ll have more talented people overall. Toyota will be more of a global company where people will be moved around. Leadership will not be based on where someone was born but what they’ve done and what they’re capability is. We’ll have vehicles that help society in terms of making them healthier – things like the seat material in the new Camry that helps cure rashes. Cars may clean the air as they drive. We’ll extend the range of cars where they won’t have such a detrimental impact on our natural resources. We’ll make a contribution to the quality of life of customers and society. We’ll have a community philanthropic posture. We’ve been fortunate, and we want to make sure we give back to the community in which we’ve gained economic. For instance, at our San Antonio, Texas, supplier park (suppliers to the new Tundra plant), we have 26 major suppliers who have taken partners from the economically depressed south San Antonio. The economic benefit is not some company that comes from another state or another country but a high portion of the benefit resides in the local San Antonio business community and economy. The plant not only enhances the community economically but also environmentally. It has now smokestacks, no effluent. It is generating money for education, health care and training. It isn’t just about making cars and shipping them. Growing the company and business and delivering high quality and value takes us so far but being part of the community is the most important.
Toyota North America’s new head on moving the company forward, his role, the competition and alternative fuel
Jim Press was recently appointed president of Toyota Motor North America in New York, the first non-Japanese to hold the post. He previously was president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Press currently is chair of the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, the industry’s top trade group. He is the first international auto executive to be elected to the post. Press was recently in Detroit delivering a speech to a businesswomen’s group, InForum, on new roles for women in the auto industry. Here’s his take on Toyota moving forward, his role, the competition and alternative fuel. Advertisement
MK: Can you explain your new job?
JP: It is primarily the face of Toyota in terms of the media, public affairs, government relationships, Japan-American cultural kinds of things and relations with states where we have plant site studies, philanthropy. It is the one place to go for the single consistent Toyota story. It is where the common interests of our operating affiliates come together. It’s where we can help the affiliates come together while retaining their independence but finding opportunities for better coordination and consolidation.
MK: What would you like to accomplish?
JP: My main goal is that is of Toyota being the most admired and respected company, continuing our growth in customer and dealer satisfaction, having as much success five years from now as we have today, and having the North American entities become more self reliant with the resources they need to make that happen. We can become self-reliant and support the global Toyota with our resources, with our direction and our guidance within (global Toyota’s) strategy. We’ll be more efficient, more effective, hopefully with more resources, more production capacity, continued contribution to the economy and continued investments here.
MK: Do you feel Toyota is wearing a target on its back since it recently surpassed Chrysler in the U.S. and is nearing No. 1 in the world?
JP: As opposed to a target, I’d say we’re operating more under a microscope or magnifying glass. The things we are doing have more meaning or more interest in the media than before. As you said, we established our reputation on quality so now if we have a minor quality issue, it is a major story. If a company that has had major quality issues has a minor quality issue, it’s not a story. So we realize that and actually relish it because, in a way, having that target on our back is a great motivator to make sure we continue moving forward, continue growing and doing the things that made us successful and not becoming complacent and not get arrogant. As we grow, we have to fight the big company disease. One of my goals in my new job at TMA is have TMA help police and assure that the target doesn’t get hit … we become the steward of our reputation.
MK: What’s your view on hybrid technology?
JP: We recognize more and more hybrid technology is going to be a key technology for the future success of this business. Hybrid is going to be hybrid diesel. Fuel cell cars are hybrids. The internal combustion engine cars we are selling today are hybrids. Flex fuel vehicles will be hybrids. Hybrid is the enabling technology that makes all of those more efficient. Diesel, gasoline, hydrogen and biodiesel are all fuels that feed through a common system, which is a hybrid. This is the thing we’re developing. Hybrid is the way you gain the synergy of combining stored energy that you store when you don’t need it and release when you do.
MK: You are chairman of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the industry’s top trade group, and you are the first international automotive executive to do so. How’s that going?
JP: It’s a time of turbulence and great interest in fuel. We’ve been dealing with a war of words over who is at fault with high gas prices. There are those who think the auto industry is at fault because their cars don’t get very good mileage. But the auto industry doesn’t bring the oil out of the ground and price it. OPEC does; oil companies do. The issue of gas prices is a consumer issue and becoming a political one. It’s really a great time to have all this stuff stirring around. Ten years ago, CAFE was an issue for us but the public wasn’t involved. Now they are engaged. So it is a great time for the industry to utilize its capability to educate through an ad campaign to consumers and thought leaders making decisions on future regulations. It’s a very stimulating opportunity
MK: Does Toyota have plans for ethanol vehicles?
JP: We have no flex fuel vehicles. We’re studying them.
MK: There’s suddenly great interest in it and in Brazil, which has 90 percent of its fleet using ethanol.
JP: As for Brazil, they use sugar to make ethanol. They have lots of it – too much. And sugar cane is more efficient than corn. Their total vehicle population is smaller and more concentrated. Also in Brazil, they have government policy that has driven them in that direction just Europe has one that has encouraged diesel. Here, we don’t have that. So it is really hard for the free market on its own to embrace a fuel that costs more to produce and is less efficient. It’s also a fuel that if we really did embrace it would require a tremendous amount of corn production. That would bring up other issues – land use issues, significant changes to our structure of tariffs on importation. Who is going to pay for ethanol gas stations? There are less than 600 in the country. There’s one in California, and it’s not open to the public. All those flex fuel vehicles sold in California provide a credit for CAFE but they are running on gasoline. We need to have more gas stations and more ethanol available. E10 we can run through regular gas station and today’s cars can use it. If we all went to E0 today, we’d get at least 10 percent more out of our gallon of gas, which may be a way to phase it. But now it doesn’t have the same CAFE credit. So there are obstacles. Ethanol definitely helps in the cause of dependence on foreign oil.
MK: Studies show people are more interested in that issue – dependence on foreign oil – than the environment. Do you find that’s true?
JP: People say customers will pay a premium for fuel that doesn’t rely on foreign oil but they won’t pay a premium if it cleans the air. Americans don’t want to pay a premium for anything.
MK: What’s the ultimate answer for our dependence on foreign oil, high gas prices, the environment?
JP: All of them – oil, nuclear, wind, renewable energy. It’s a total. There will be winners and losers. Right now, individual company interests and politics are pulling one way or another, but when we get done, we’ll have a whole menu. Some answers will be better suited to trucks and highways, certain geographic regions and where we have CO2 versus particulate or NOX issues. Other solutions will be better for small cars, cities. There’s a great menu of technology coming out. My interest from an industry standpoint is to get that menu established and help create a vision so we can begin to deploy all technologies for some kind of common unified vision to sustain the development of the industry and sustain the best interests of society and quality of life. We want to have vehicles that allow us to go where we want when we want but not compromise the quality of the air or availability of natural resources.
MK: In terms of Toyota specifically, many so-called experts have listed your challenges. What do you think Toyota’s biggest challenges are?
JP: That we believe our own headlines. We’re not as good as people say when we’re doing well, nor are the other companies as bad as they say they are when they’re not doing well. We may be in third place or second place – who knows or who cares. But we have to think like we’re in fourth place and focus on what we can do better. I got some sage advice from a wise old grandmother. She said green tomatoes always know their futures are still ahead of them while red tomatoes quit growing. So we want to be a green tomato. It gets harder as you grow and have some level of accomplishment. The reality is a lot of our (upward sales) movement and (increased market) share are not just about what we’ve done, but what other companies have done (the drop in share by Ford and General Motors.) Our biggest issue is to make sure as we grow that we remember what got us here. As we do grow, we don’t lose the attributes of what us a success and don’t let attributes that made us a success become attributes of failure. The things that got us here can’t be the things that take us down.
MK: Toyota has built its reputation on bulletproof quality. How do you address that as you grow?
JP: As we create more capacity, we’ve got to achieve better quality. The expectation is better quality, not less. So as we double the capacity and add more plants, they have to have better quality than when we had one plant or two or three. We have to design that into the cars. We have to have better value. Be able to contend with growth and maintain the value that got us where we are.
MK: What keeps you awake at night in this regard?
JP: The worry I have is that if you look at the education of our young people, areas like engineering and basic technology don’t have appeal. We’re producing those kinds of kids. If you go to top engineering schools, they are filled with international students. So what’s that do to our future competitiveness? I’ve seen statistics that should be a wake up call for us: for the first time in history, the forecast is that the next generation will have a lower standard of living than this one. We’d better take note of that. We need to look at what we need to do as a country. It starts with values education and focus on economic development. The U.S. has taken for granted our position on the globe. We held a trade exposition in Japan and struggled to get American companies interested in participating. Maybe, America can’t believe its own headlines. In contrast, look at young people in other countries, like China, where young women are coming out of school so ambitious, aggressive, dynamic and smart. We need to wake up.
MK: You said early in your interview that your goal in your new job was to make Toyota as successful five years from now as it is now. What is your vision for Toyota in North America in five years?
JP: In five years, we’ll continue to enjoy consistent slow and steady growth. We’ll have a more satisfied, loyal customer body. Dealers will have more valuable franchises. There’ll be bigger investments and bigger payoffs. We’ll have a broader portfolio of products. We’ve now filled many of the segments, but, within those segments, we could have more derivatives. We’ll have more capacity. We’ll make a bigger investment and have a bigger presence economically. We’ll have more local content. I saw an article today that the Ford Mustang has 65 percent local content while our U.S.-built Sienna minivan has 90 percent. More of that will occur. We’ll have more talented people overall. Toyota will be more of a global company where people will be moved around. Leadership will not be based on where someone was born but what they’ve done and what they’re capability is. We’ll have vehicles that help society in terms of making them healthier – things like the seat material in the new Camry that helps cure rashes. Cars may clean the air as they drive. We’ll extend the range of cars where they won’t have such a detrimental impact on our natural resources. We’ll make a contribution to the quality of life of customers and society. We’ll have a community philanthropic posture. We’ve been fortunate, and we want to make sure we give back to the community in which we’ve gained economic. For instance, at our San Antonio, Texas, supplier park (suppliers to the new Tundra plant), we have 26 major suppliers who have taken partners from the economically depressed south San Antonio. The economic benefit is not some company that comes from another state or another country but a high portion of the benefit resides in the local San Antonio business community and economy. The plant not only enhances the community economically but also environmentally. It has now smokestacks, no effluent. It is generating money for education, health care and training. It isn’t just about making cars and shipping them. Growing the company and business and delivering high quality and value takes us so far but being part of the community is the most important.
05-17-06, 12:09 PM
#3
Speaks French in Russian
Originally Posted by LexArazzo
We have had one ES 350 transmission fail and we gave that customer a new car.
06-12-06, 09:28 AM
#4
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Pressed for time, Toyota
Jim Press always on the go as automaker's North American boss
BY JIM MATEJA
Published June 11, 2006
Jim Press took a couple days off this month for a little R&R in Florida.
He relaxed by attending a series of meetings with Lexus dealers from throughout the U.S., while fitting in visits to the hotel pool.
"I swim six days a week and work seven days a week. Swimming is my work, work is my relaxation," Press said of his passion since he was 8. The holder of a Gold Medallion from the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Press talked while on break from dealer meetings.
"To some, sitting in a design studio all day is work. To me it's a dream."
When he can pull himself away from his "leisure," he also rides motorcycles and is a triathlete. But now, he has more pressing matters, as it were.
Last month, Press took over as president of Toyota Motors North America, the first non-Japanese as well as the first graduate of Pittsburg State University in Kansas to hold that position.
He had been in charge of North American sales for Toyota since 2000, in which time the automaker's U.S. market share rose to 13.8 percent from 9.3 percent.
Now, at 59, he's in charge of not just sales, but also engineering and manufacturing operations in the U.S. and Canada.
Press got the nod after Hideaki Otaka stepped down last month in the wake of charges of sexual harassment by a former assistant. One of Press' new duties will be to investigate those charges.
To observers, he's a good choice.
"His strength is his people skills. His faults ... he doesn't have any," said Jim Hossack, vice president of AutoPacific, an automotive research and consulting firm. "He's so respected in the industry that when he makes a keynote address at an automotive event, executives from the other companies usually come to hear him."
From his days overseeing U.S. sales, Press is credited for insisting that executives in Japan provide vehicles more suited to American tastes rather than those designed for narrow roads in Japan.
"He was a genius when it came to product," said Bob Loquercio, an Elgin Toyota dealer. "He Americanized the lineup. His strength is that he tells Toyota what it needs to hear and gets the product the customer and dealer wants from them. He has a vision of where the market is today and where it's going in the future and is able to communicate that to his partners in Japan."
Those vehicles include the full-size pickups soon to be built in Texas and vans with popular items such as power-sliding doors and cupholders, features absent from those created in Japan and briefly sold here.
You can also add the gas/electric Prius, the mini Yaris and the entry-level Scion division to the notches Press has put on his belt in his 30 years with the company.
"The guy has been an inspiration, a motivator in his own quiet manner," noted Joe Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends, an industry research and consulting firm. "He leads by example, not by yelling and screaming in meetings. He's the guy who proved that given the responsibility, an American could lead the company in North America rather than have a senior Japanese executive in the shadow of the throne at all times."
His new duties will keep the father of three boys and a girl on the go. He maintains residences in New York City, home to North American operations, and Redondo Beach, Calif., near sales operations. And he still will spend a week or two in Japan each month.
"I live wherever my shoes are," he quips.
At least plane travel doesn't bother him since he's also a certified commercial pilot--though he has yet to take the controls.
As for goals now that he runs the show in North America, Press said he'll keep creating more vehicles customers want and adding more U.S. production capacity to build them.
Toyota has seven plants in the U.S.--No. 8, in San Antonio, comes online in the fall--and makes about 2.3 million units, or 57 percent of its North American sales, here annually.
Though Toyota is rolling in dough and sales and consumer praise, that doesn't make Press' success a slam-dunk.
"It's like being next on stage following a bunch of kids," Hossack said. "That's a tough act to follow. They say trees don't grow forever and Press' challenge is to continue the momentum Toyota has had going for it the last four decades and not falling short of what's gone before him."
Complacency is public enemy No. 1 to Press.
"To become even better our long-range planning has to focus on listening to the customer and not thinking we are as good as our press clippings and becoming arrogant." He reminds employees and dealers of that every chance he gets.
And, though passing General Motors in total U.S. sales is on many lips, Press insists that isn't on his to-do list.
"The focus isn't on GM, it's our customers and our products. Moving ahead of GM may be a result, but it's not a goal."
Now that he's running the show, the unassuming Press is going to make one change in his life--upgrading the company car to a Camry from a Tacoma pickup.
But that decision has nothing to do with image.
"With my office now in New York, a Camry hybrid is more practical."
source : chicagotribine
BY JIM MATEJA
Published June 11, 2006
Jim Press took a couple days off this month for a little R&R in Florida.
He relaxed by attending a series of meetings with Lexus dealers from throughout the U.S., while fitting in visits to the hotel pool.
"I swim six days a week and work seven days a week. Swimming is my work, work is my relaxation," Press said of his passion since he was 8. The holder of a Gold Medallion from the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Press talked while on break from dealer meetings.
"To some, sitting in a design studio all day is work. To me it's a dream."
When he can pull himself away from his "leisure," he also rides motorcycles and is a triathlete. But now, he has more pressing matters, as it were.
Last month, Press took over as president of Toyota Motors North America, the first non-Japanese as well as the first graduate of Pittsburg State University in Kansas to hold that position.
He had been in charge of North American sales for Toyota since 2000, in which time the automaker's U.S. market share rose to 13.8 percent from 9.3 percent.
Now, at 59, he's in charge of not just sales, but also engineering and manufacturing operations in the U.S. and Canada.
Press got the nod after Hideaki Otaka stepped down last month in the wake of charges of sexual harassment by a former assistant. One of Press' new duties will be to investigate those charges.
To observers, he's a good choice.
"His strength is his people skills. His faults ... he doesn't have any," said Jim Hossack, vice president of AutoPacific, an automotive research and consulting firm. "He's so respected in the industry that when he makes a keynote address at an automotive event, executives from the other companies usually come to hear him."
From his days overseeing U.S. sales, Press is credited for insisting that executives in Japan provide vehicles more suited to American tastes rather than those designed for narrow roads in Japan.
"He was a genius when it came to product," said Bob Loquercio, an Elgin Toyota dealer. "He Americanized the lineup. His strength is that he tells Toyota what it needs to hear and gets the product the customer and dealer wants from them. He has a vision of where the market is today and where it's going in the future and is able to communicate that to his partners in Japan."
Those vehicles include the full-size pickups soon to be built in Texas and vans with popular items such as power-sliding doors and cupholders, features absent from those created in Japan and briefly sold here.
You can also add the gas/electric Prius, the mini Yaris and the entry-level Scion division to the notches Press has put on his belt in his 30 years with the company.
"The guy has been an inspiration, a motivator in his own quiet manner," noted Joe Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends, an industry research and consulting firm. "He leads by example, not by yelling and screaming in meetings. He's the guy who proved that given the responsibility, an American could lead the company in North America rather than have a senior Japanese executive in the shadow of the throne at all times."
His new duties will keep the father of three boys and a girl on the go. He maintains residences in New York City, home to North American operations, and Redondo Beach, Calif., near sales operations. And he still will spend a week or two in Japan each month.
"I live wherever my shoes are," he quips.
At least plane travel doesn't bother him since he's also a certified commercial pilot--though he has yet to take the controls.
As for goals now that he runs the show in North America, Press said he'll keep creating more vehicles customers want and adding more U.S. production capacity to build them.
Toyota has seven plants in the U.S.--No. 8, in San Antonio, comes online in the fall--and makes about 2.3 million units, or 57 percent of its North American sales, here annually.
Though Toyota is rolling in dough and sales and consumer praise, that doesn't make Press' success a slam-dunk.
"It's like being next on stage following a bunch of kids," Hossack said. "That's a tough act to follow. They say trees don't grow forever and Press' challenge is to continue the momentum Toyota has had going for it the last four decades and not falling short of what's gone before him."
Complacency is public enemy No. 1 to Press.
"To become even better our long-range planning has to focus on listening to the customer and not thinking we are as good as our press clippings and becoming arrogant." He reminds employees and dealers of that every chance he gets.
And, though passing General Motors in total U.S. sales is on many lips, Press insists that isn't on his to-do list.
"The focus isn't on GM, it's our customers and our products. Moving ahead of GM may be a result, but it's not a goal."
Now that he's running the show, the unassuming Press is going to make one change in his life--upgrading the company car to a Camry from a Tacoma pickup.
But that decision has nothing to do with image.
"With my office now in New York, a Camry hybrid is more practical."
source : chicagotribine
06-12-06, 09:41 AM
#5
Originally Posted by LexArazzo
Jim Press always on the go as automaker's North American boss
BY JIM MATEJA
Published June 11, 2006
Jim Press took a couple days off this month for a little R&R in Florida.
He relaxed by attending a series of meetings with Lexus dealers from throughout the U.S., while fitting in visits to the hotel pool.
"To become even better our long-range planning has to focus on listening to the customer and not thinking we are as good as our press clippings and becoming arrogant." He reminds employees and dealers of that every chance he gets.
"The focus isn't on GM, it's our customers and our products. Moving ahead of GM may be a result, but it's not a goal."
BY JIM MATEJA
Published June 11, 2006
Jim Press took a couple days off this month for a little R&R in Florida.
He relaxed by attending a series of meetings with Lexus dealers from throughout the U.S., while fitting in visits to the hotel pool.
"To become even better our long-range planning has to focus on listening to the customer and not thinking we are as good as our press clippings and becoming arrogant." He reminds employees and dealers of that every chance he gets.
"The focus isn't on GM, it's our customers and our products. Moving ahead of GM may be a result, but it's not a goal."
They need to beef up on some of their dealership customer service and Lexus corporate rather than saying "Each dealer is independently owned" and just brushing it off.
Lastly, I hope he still have some time left to visit Club Lexus and hear us complain about wanting more out of our Lexus. After all, he did say it's about "our customers and our products."
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
LexFather
Car Chat
10
03-31-05 09:51 PM
LexusLuver
Car Chat
1
10-23-04 01:37 PM
