HOUSTON, Sept. 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) was selected "Corporation of the Year" by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), it was announced today at the chamber's national convention here. Each year, the USHCC presents this award to a corporation that has championed Hispanic enterprise, demonstrating that diversity and inclusion activities are both principled and profitable.
Toyota ranks in the highest level of the USHCC's Million Dollar Club, which honors corporations that have displayed a commitment to supplier diversity by contracting $1 billion with Hispanic-owned companies. The world's largest automaker is also a founding member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, which recognizes and celebrates corporations that have spent at least $1 billion with women- and minority-owned suppliers.
"Toyota has been a proud supporter of the work of USHCC and its mission for 24 years. Being recognized as Corporation of the Year is a very special distinction that serves to propel our work in supplier diversity even further," stated Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of Toyota's Hispanic Business Strategy Group.
Pineda added that as the top-selling automotive brand in the Hispanic market for 10 consecutive years, Toyota is actively strengthening its decades-long ties with a $1.5 trillion consumer segment that ranks among the top economies in the world. "We will continue our tradition of engaging with Hispanic-owned firms to establish the kinds of partnerships that help businesses flourish," she added.
Javier Palomarez, USHCC president and CEO said: "We are thrilled to honor Toyota as our 2015 Corporation of the Year. As the world's top automaker, Toyota demonstrates that global industry leaders can empower minorities while building a profitable business model. By constructing their vehicles where they sell them, Toyota supports local suppliers and economies. We look forward to their continued partnership with the Hispanic business community."
The Corporation of the Year award will be presented at the USHCC Million Dollar Club Breakfast on Tuesday, September 22. The convention, which runs through the 22nd at the Hilton Americas, is a premier event for America's small business community, convening thousands of Hispanic entrepreneurs, national and international corporate executives, top government officials, and representatives from local chambers and business associations throughout the country.
The company's brand presence at the convention this year includes sponsorship of the closing gala where Osamu "Simon" Nagata, TMNA's EVP and chief administrative officer, will speak; an interactive exhibition booth; displays of the Texas-built Toyota Tundra and Tacoma trucks; a social media wall; and daily drawings for Apple Watches.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 42,000 people (more than 33,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.67 million cars and trucks (more than 2.35 million in the U.S.) in 2014 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
About the USHCC
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of our nation's entrepreneurs. The USHCC advocates on behalf of nearly 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses, which together contribute in excess of $486 billion to the American economy, each year. As the leading organization of its kind, the USHCC serves as an umbrella to more than 200 local chambers and business associations nationwide, and partners with more than 240 major corporations throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.ushcc.com, follow us on Twitter @USHCC.