Toyota Announces 2005 Top Supplier Awards

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Toyota Announces 2005 Top Supplier Awards
AK Steel, Denso, Johnson Matthey, TRW and U.S. Engine Valve Among Those Recognized For Outstanding Quality, Delivery, Diversity and Value Improvement

03/22/2006 Erlanger, KY
March 22, 2006 – Erlanger, KY - Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TMMNA) today announced awards for its top North American suppliers in 2005. The awards acknowledge those suppliers who have met Toyota's highest standards in quality, delivery, diversity and value improvement for parts and materials.

The following suppliers were all recognized with Superior Awards in the areas of Quality, Delivery, Value Improvement and Supplier Diversity:

• AK Steel Corporation, Middletown, Ohio (Quality & Delivery)
• Aisin World Corp. of America, AISIN Electronics, Inc., Stockton, California (Quality)
• Ambrake Corp., Elizabethtown, Kentucky (Quality)
• Delphi Thermal & Interior, Juarez, Mexico (Quality)
• Denso International America, Inc., F/I Division, Athens, Tennessee (Quality & Delivery)
• Denso International America, Inc., C/P Division, Athens, Tennessee (Delivery)
• Denso International America, Inc., S/A Division, Maryville, Tennessee (Delivery)
• Denso International America, Inc., Weastec, Inc., Hillsboro, Ohio (Quality)
• Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Supplier Diversity**)
• Johnson Matthey, West Deptford, New Jersey (Quality & Delivery)
• Lear Corporation, Southfield, Michigan (Supplier Diversity**)
• Nova Chemicals, Inc., Monaca, Pennsylvania (Quality)
• TRW Automotive Electronics, Livonia, Michigan (Value Improvement)
• U.S. Engine Valve Company, Westminster, South Carolina (Quality & Delivery)

Toyota's presentation of awards in the area of Supplier Diversity recognize those suppliers who put forth outstanding efforts on minority business development initiatives and are helping Toyota to meet their minority procurement targets. Last November, Toyota announced that it exceeded its target of spending $1 billion with minority Tier I businesses, one year ahead of schedule.

"Toyota views our suppliers as business partners and together, we have improved our efforts in quality, delivery and value," said Osamu "Simon" Nagata, vice president of purchasing for TMMNA. "Thanks to their outstanding focus for the past 20 years, Toyota has had growth and success in North America."

The awards were given at Toyota's Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony, which brings together the automaker's approximately 500 North American suppliers to share expectations for the coming business year and to recognize outstanding performance among suppliers.

Toyota currently has five vehicle manufacturing plants and seven engine/component plants in North America. In addition, two new plants are under construction – in San Antonio, Texas and Woodstock, Ontario. Also, Toyota recently announced plans to build the Camry at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA), scheduled to begin in Spring 2007.

Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957. There are more than 1,700 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sell more than 2.5 million vehicles a year. Toyota directly employs over 38,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $16.8 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $26 billion.

According to a 2005 Center for Automotive Research study, Toyota, along with its dealers and suppliers, has generated nearly 400,000 U.S. jobs, including jobs created through spending by direct, dealer and suppliers employees.

Toyota produces 10 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sienna, Solara, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra and the Lexus RX 330. By 2008, Toyota will have the annual capacity to build about 2 million cars and trucks, 1.44 million engines and 600,000 automatic transmissions in North America.

Current and potential suppliers can visit www.ToyotaSupplier.com for information on Toyota's purchasing policies, newsworthy articles and learn more about Toyota's purchasing principles.