Toyota trumpets the good it's doing the American economy

Tuesday, April 18th, 2006

By Dan Sewell

CINCINNATI -- For years the saying went, what's good for General Motors is good for America. Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. has a new promotional campaign that says it's good for America, too.

Billboards along highways in areas of the United States such as the Cincinnati-northern Kentucky region, where Toyota employs some 8,800 people, tout the U.S. economic impacts of the company, which is on its way to passing GM as the world's largest automaker.

The messages highlight numbers, such as 13 -- "Donuts in a baker's dozen; Toyota's U.S. investment, in billions," and 386,000 -- "Kilometers to the moon; U.S. jobs created by Toyota." The billboards are in some two dozen U.S. markets where Toyota has factories or supplier operations, from Fremont, Calif., where Toyota partners with GM at an automaking plant, to Huntsville, Ala., where Toyota makes engines.

"Our intent is to raise awareness of our growing U.S. presence," said Patricia Pineda, group vice- president for corporate communications of Toyota Motor North America.

"Our research tells us that consumers want to learn more about Toyota's U.S. presence."

She said Toyota highlights its U.S. investments and "level of commitment" to the country in a campaign that began last month and also includes local radio spots and airport advertising.

Toyota has led the way for Asian automakers that have steadily increased U.S. sales, and Toyota now has about 13 per cent of U.S. vehicle sales. While GM and Ford Motor Co. are facing major restructuring with plant closings and job cuts, Toyota says it wants to expand car production in the United States, such as recently announced plans to make up to 100,000 Camrys a year at a Subaru plant in Lafayette, Ind.

Toyota's message is generally warmly received in Kentucky, where it's provided a major economic boost to the state and employs 7,000 workers at its Georgetown plant alone.

"I think most people, particularly in this area, like Toyota a lot," said Kenneth Troske, who heads the University of Kentucky's Center for Business and Economic Research.

"They bring a lot of things to the community."

-- Associated Press