Toyota chooses UK for pan-European global production centre

Citation

(2006), "Toyota chooses UK for pan-European global production centre", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 38 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2006.03738fab.001

Toyota chooses UK for pan-European global production centre

Toyota has opened its new pan-European global production centre (E-GPC) to provide production and maintenance training to the employees of its European manufacturing operations.

The E-GPC – the European branch of Toyota’s global production centre in Japan – is in a purpose-built, 8,000-square-metre training facility the grounds of Toyota’s vehicle-manufacturing plant at Burnaston, Derbyshire (Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK). Representing an investment of £11.3 million, the E-GPC employs 18 people, including 16 trainers who are responsible for training up to 1,000 Toyota employees each year.

“Our objective is that we create a work environment where Toyota’s team members are contributing and learning, because their contributions and development spur the innovation that makes Toyota a strong company,” said Sir Alan Jones, executive vice-president, manufacturing group, Toyota Motor Europe. “And while this training centre will benefit our European team members, ultimately it is our customers who are the true winners,” he added.

The E-GPC delivers courses designed to enhance and develop key vehicle-production skills and equipment-maintenance knowledge to support the Toyota production system, with its emphasis on quality. Trainees use specially developed workstations, simulated production environments and the latest maintenance technology to refine their skills.

Toyota believes that the courses will 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 will be improved skills and better quality built in to the production process,” said Sir Alan.

Toyota established its global production centre (GPC) in Toyota City, Japan, in July 2003, to train employees from Japan and its 52 manufacturing sites in 26 countries and locations worldwide (excluding Japan). The objective of the GPC was to create a more uniform training system that could rapidly train mid-level managers. With the steady expansion of Toyota’s manufacturing operations across the globe, the company believes that the creation of regional training centres is essential to help further to disseminate knowledge and best practice to all Toyota team members.

In February 2006, Toyota’s US operations opened the north American branch of the GPC – the north American production-support center (NAPSC) – in Kentucky. The Asia-Pacific branch of the GPC will open shortly in Thailand.

“The E-GPC is a natural extension of the GPC concept to one of the world’s most important automobile markets,” Sir Alan continued. Toyota’s European manufacturing operations currently comprise eight plants in six countries – the UK, France, Poland, Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Toyota achieved its ninth consecutive record year of sales in Europe in 2005, with 964,208 vehicles delivered – a 5 per cent rise over the previous year. Toyota produced 638,000 cars, 588,000 engines and almost 337,000 transmissions at its plants in the UK, France, Turkey, Poland and the Czech Republic.

For 2006, Toyota has set a sales target of exceeding 1 million units for the Toyota brand in Europe, while Lexus brand sales are expected to reach 45,000. Operating at record capacity, Toyota expects to produce 806,000 cars, 860,000 engines and 575,000 transmissions at its eight plants in 2006.