Autoliv highlighted in regional ad
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Saturday, March 10, 2007
By Jeff DeMoss
Standard-Examiner staff
jdemoss@standard.net
It runs in western editions of several periodicals
OGDEN -- As home to the world's largest airbag plant, the Top of Utah has been getting some major publicity in the business world, courtesy of Toyota Motor Co.
Recent Toyota advertisements in national magazines have featured Autoliv Inc.'s airbag production facilities in the Top of Utah as part of an ongoing campaign.
Toyota is expected to surpass General Motors Corp. as the largest automotive presence in the United States soon, and the company is highlighting its economic impact in America to help maintain a strong image in the United States.
Toyota says it employs about 400,000 in the U.S., and buys around $30 billion worth of parts from American suppliers annually.
In one recent full-page ad in Business Week, Toyota proclaims against a backdrop of rugged, snowy mountains that "While Utah has some lovely ski trails, we go for the airbags."
Another ad in the campaign features pictures of Autoliv employees and facilities in Ogden.
Kathy Whitehead, spokeswoman for Autoliv in Ogden, said Toyota officials and their advertising people toured the area last winter to come up with the images for the campaign.
"We're getting recognition for the work of our employees, but also for the beautiful spot we work in," Whitehead said.
The ads have also appeared in such publications as Newsweek, USA Today, Smithsonian, National Geographic and Fortune, said Mathew Tsukamoto, director of the Toyota-Subaru business unit for Autoliv North America.
Autoliv's Ogden airbag facility on 31st Street, which Tsukamoto said is the world's largest with 14 million units produced last year, sends about one-fifth of the airbags it makes to Toyota.
"Toyota has become the number one customer for our Utah facilities," he said.
The ads are regionally focused and feature other Toyota suppliers in the south, midwest, and other areas where the company buys parts.
They have been running for several months, with more to come in the near future, Tsukamoto said.
He said Autoliv's local operations have been a model among suppliers in adopting Toyota's philosophy of continuous improvement, or "kaizen."
Sweden-based Autoliv recently received some global awards from Toyota for improvements in manufacturing processes and product quality, further solidifying a long-term business partnership.
"We have a 22-year relationship with Toyota that just keeps growing," Tsukamoto said.
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