Rotary Program: 7/14/04

Program Chairperson: Kitty White

Speaker: Nila S. Wells, Community Relations Specialist - Toyota Motor Manufacturing

Nila Wells went to work for Toyota Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky in February, 1987 as an assistant to the President and a Senior Vice-President and transferred to the Community Relations Department in 1992 to head Toyota’s philanthropic program. Under Nila’s direction, a little over $2 million is donated each year to such organizations as the Governors Scholars Program, Governor’s School for the Arts, Kentucky Educational Television, and the Prichard Committee. She is a native of Lexington, Kentucky where she resides with her husband, Mike.

Nila said that she came today to share with us some information on an upcoming event at the Mountain Arts Center called “An Evening With Sissy Spacek” which is sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing and a program called “In the Interest of Women”, a forum for women in Kentucky. The program will be on Monday, October 18, 2004 at 7:00 P.M. and is open to all women in the region. Former Governor Martha Layne Collins will emcee the event and a special presentation will be given by former First Lady, Judi Patton. Sissy Spacek, who won an academy award for her portrayal of Kentucky legend, Loretta Lynn in the movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, will speak to the audience about her life and experiences in the entertainment industry and will field questions afterward. Vendors will be on hand to provide information to the women of Eastern Kentucky on subjects such as health-related services, finance, and other area resources and attractions. All proceeds from the event will be donated to charitable organizations in Eastern Kentucky.

Nila also wanted to share some information about what the Toyota Manufacturing operation in Georgetown is doing and the impact it has made on Kentucky. The Georgetown plant produces the Camry, the Solara, and the Avalon lines of Toyota automobiles. The plant broke ground in 1986 and began production in 1987. Every day, the factory produces 2,000 vehicles and 2,140 engines in two shifts. Nila says a new automobile rolls off the assembly line every 58 seconds! The payroll exceeds $500 million dollars each year and Toyota Inc., has invested more than $6.6 billion since the plant opened in 1988. The Georgetown facility has more than 7,000 employees, but since the beginning more than 34,000 jobs have been created for Kentuckians and nearly 100,000 jobs in other plants across the U.S. that provide parts and services for the Kentucky location. Each vehicle produced at Georgetown is made with over 75% American parts. The steel is brought to the plant in giant rolls where it is stamped and shaped into more than 274 parts and components. The panels and parts then proceed to the body weld plant where 600 robots make 4,400 spot welds to construct the body shells. Another section of the plant molds plastics into bumpers, instrument panels and other components. The paint shop provides a complex series of prepping, priming, sanding, sealing, and top coating the body into a water-tight, durable, and attractive finish. Then the power train is installed in the body shell and all other assembly is done to complete the vehicle. The final process involves a detailed quality inspection of every vehicle before it is shipped to dealerships throughout the world. We are indeed indebted to Toyota for their contributions to our state economy and the jobs they provide and we also appreciate Nila for coming today to better acquaint us with all the programs they sponsor in the community as well. - JMC