Toyota Top Exec Urges Detroit to Have Faith

It is a known fact that Detroit's Big Three have beenPress. He made the statement at a luncheon where
experiencing setbacks in recent years while the leadinghe was given the distinction of being the automotive
Asian brand Toyota is surging to the top. While thatexecutive of the year.
may be the case, the Toyota North America PresidentThe contrast between Toyota and Detroit's Big Three
Jim Press has expressed his opinion on the fate of thehas been increasing in the past few years. As General
auto industry in general over the next few years. HeMotors, Ford, and Chrysler shuts down plants, reduce
said that while car manufacturers are experiencingworking hours and production, and cut down jobs,
hard times recently, technology and innovation will bringToyota is enjoying success on their home turf. While
these car manufacturers back to profitability in the longAmerican car manufacturers posted declining sales,
run.Toyota, along with other Asian brands, have been
Jim Press recently became the first non-Japanese toincreasing their hold and their share of the U.S. auto
be elected as a member of Toyota's board. Themarket.
appointment of Press on Toyota's board came in theLast year, Toyota posted their fifth straight year of
middle of the growing American hostility towardsincrease in global auto sales. In fact, the Japanese
Toyota which is being blamed for the losses sufferedoutfit has overtaken Ford as the world's second
by American car manufacturers.largest car manufacturer. In the United States, Toyota
While Press has earned the spot on Toyota's board,now has the third biggest share of the auto market
some auto industry experts think that the move isand could now be found almost at the heels of Ford.
aimed to reduce the amount of hostility that theAuto industry experts are expecting Toyota to take
company has been receiving from Americans. Press isover Ford's second place standing in the U.S. auto
particularly paled a major role in the increasing successmarket.
of the Japanese car manufacturer in the United StatesFurthermore, there are predictions that Toyota will
auto market.soon become the largest car manufacturer in the
Jim Press recently acknowledged that Detroit is still inworld. Some experts think that by next year, Toyota
a position to play a key role in auto production todaywill be able to stake claim to the title of being the
and in the future as well. He pointed out that Detroit islargest car manufacturer in the world. Although this
still looked upon as the center of the development ofseems likely to happen, Jim Press pointed out the
"technological solutions" which he sees will play apresent status of Chrysler which is on the auction
major role in the success of the United States autoblock. After all, General Motors is rumored to be
industry. He said that these technological advances willinterested in buying the American auto giant. If that
certainly address different issues confronting the autohappens, Toyota will have a bigger mountain to climb
industry such as the threat of global warming, safetyto become the world's largest car manufacturer.
of their consumers, and energy security which is oneDuring the said speaking engagement, Jim Press said
of President Bush's goals as reported in his State ofthat Toyota is open to the idea of setting up an
the Union Address.assembly plant in the state of Michigan. While Toyota
"What Detroit needs to do is to continue to have faithhas a technical center at Ann Arbor, they have yet to
in itself," says Press. ""It isn't reinvention that isset up an assembly plant in the state known as the
necessary. It's to go through the process of entering ahotbed of American car manufacturers. In the near
global age. And that's going to give us some heartburnfuture though, the auto industry will surely see Toyota
in the short term, but from a long-term perspective, wesurging forward that not even an EBC Redstuff brake
have a lifetime of success and prosperity," addedpad can stop them at the moment.