Toyota Holds Opening Ceremony for European Global Production Centre

Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) marked the opening of the European Global Production Centre (E-GPC) in Burnaston, Derbyshire in the United Kingdom with a ceremony at the facility on March 23. The E-GPC is a training center for teaching production and maintenance skills to future trainers from Toyota's European plants; it is located within the grounds of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. (TMUK), Toyota's U.K. production base.

Present at the ceremony were local representatives, TMC Managing Officer Kazuhiko Takarada, Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA President Shinichi Sasaki and TMUK Chairman Sir Alan Jones.

The E-GPC is the European branch of TMC's Global Production Center (GPC) at TMC headquarters in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Like its Japanese counterpart, the E-GPC presents explicit production know-how through a series of "best method" practices for each required skill. It delivers a range of courses designed to enhance and develop key vehicle production skills and equipment maintenance knowledge to support the Toyota Production System with its emphasis on superior quality. Participants use specially developed workstations, simulated production environments and the latest maintenance technology to refine their skills. The courses also contribute to improved safety―with a focus on enhanced ergonomics―and greater efficiency, as workers' skills can be further honed to perform tasks within specific timeframes. The result is improved skills and even better quality "built in" to the production process. Participants spend about two weeks on average at the center before taking their new knowledge and skills back to their respective plants to pass on to other team members.

TMC's GPC was established in July 2003 in response to the need for speedy introduction of Toyota's basic approach toward "making things" and its "best method" practices to TMC's overseas production affiliates―a need resulting from Toyota's rapid expansion in overseas production in recent years. Training is conducted using lectures, "visual manual" videos and other tools that promote easy understanding, as well as through practical training. Additionally, as a hub for production engineering, the GPC focuses on nurturing global professionals and helping plants learn how to prepare for the production of redesigned and/or different vehicle models. Since its establishment, the GPC has trained 6,070 people from all around the world.