Toyota Dealers to meet in San Antonio!

San Antonio.- More than 6,000 Toyota dealers and associates will gather in San Antonio August 30-31 for the company’s annual national dealer meeting, Jim Farley, Toyota Motor Sales vice president of marketing, announced today.

The company’s 1,200 dealers, along with associates and business partners will arrive in San Antonio for a two-day meeting that will showcase the new Toyota plant, the company’s upcoming products — including the 2007 Tundra to be built in the plant — and company sales practices designed to provide the best customer satisfaction in the business.

“When the new Tundra goes on sale early next year, we will be proud to say that the 2007 Tundra pickup truck will be made in Texas, by Texans, for Texans,” Farley noted.

To mark the event, Farley announced that Toyota will be the title sponsor of the upcoming Toyota Tundra Texas Football Classic, featuring ten of the most prestigious high schools in Texas in a three-day, five-game event at the Alamodome August 31-September 2. This will be the eighth edition of the Classic, which has featured some of Texas’ legendary athletes. It was originated by Texas Football magazine, which has been around for 47 years.

In addition, Toyota will underwrite free rides for the public — including the players, coaches and fans for the football games — in the river boats along the San Antonio River Walk August 30 and 31.

Approximately 800 San Antonians, including 35 off duty policemen working 2,000 man-hours, will be employed to help stage the meeting, which will utilize a number of facilities, including 4,000 rooms in 12 hotels, the AT&T Center, the Freeman Arena and the San Antonio Convention Center. Some 150 busses will be used to transport the 6,000 guests. An estimated 70,000 shrimp will be enjoyed during the event, as well as 12,000 bottles of water and 48,000 bottles of beer. Ten miles of cable will be used for the event lighting. Enough carpet will be installed at various venues to make a 12-foot wide strip more than seven miles long, and it will take 5,800 man-hours to install that floor covering. Six Texas Longhorns will be corralled for guests to see the historic creatures “up close.”

Farley noted that, “Opening night of the meeting will be a tour of the new plant, which will conclude with a hometown jamboree for our dealers and associates under two tents covering more than 160,000 air-conditioned square feet, and featuring hospitality and entertainment by our new country music partners, Brooks and Dunn. “The second morning of our meeting will be free time to give our dealers and associates the opportunity to sample San Antonio’s charms, its sights and sounds. We imagine San Antonio’s merchants will be pleased to see a few thousand visitors in their shops and restaurants,” Farley added.

To welcome dealers and others to the meeting, Toyota is posting greeting messages along with the image of the new Tundra on airport wall banners and outdoor billboards in several key locations throughout the city.

Hidehiko “TJ” Tajima, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, said, “Every day I am reminded that Toyota’s decision to locate in San Antonio was the right choice. We have enjoyed tremendous cooperation and support from the city, the county and the state in building the plant and bringing it on line. It is a project in which we can all take great pride because it is setting new standards of manufacturing efficiency while remaining very good stewards of the environment.

“In addition, the plant is creating a substantial economic impact on the city and the state. The plant was originally announced as an $850 million facility creating 2,000 new jobs. With the addition of the on-site suppliers, the total investment in the complex will be in excess of $1 billion, with 4,100 new jobs in facilities totaling over four million square feet. “Now that,” Tajima said, “is Texas-sized! And so is the new Tundra.”

Farley said, “Our big new plant and our big new 2007 Tundra symbolize how much Toyota has grown in the last 50 years, and how much we have invested in America — nearly $17 billion so far, and growing.” Toyota’s five San Antonio dealers are also adding to the company’s economic impact in San Antonio, by spending $48.2 million to upgrade their facilities to support the sales and service of the new truck, as well as other new vehicles to be offered by Toyota.