Author: Mazda Toyota

Team members from MTM showcased their innovative thinking at the 27th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference in March. Our team, comprised of members from the Paint shop and Safety Department, presented a project as part of the Ergo Cup® Competition. This internationally renowned competition celebrates outstanding solutions that address an organization’s ergonomic challenges and improve its ergonomic processes and systems. Participants are judged on several different criteria, including innovation, employee involvement, ergonomic risk reduction, and business impact.

Although the tool was designed by an engineer, team member involvement and feedback was the driving force that propelled this initial change and all future kaizens of the design. Team members also suggested quality improvement elements, such as a pin to hold the grommet in place so it would not fall out during installation. Because team members escalated early, we were able to put a low cost and effective countermeasure in place to prevent serious injuries from occurring.

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, a jointly owned-and-operated automotive production plant in Huntsville, AL, has internship opportunities available for college students. MTM, in partnership with the Alabama Productivity Center (APC), provides a hands-on learning experience for students studying engineering, human resources, logistics, operations management, accounting, finance, and more to prepare them for a career in manufacturing. If you’re a college student looking for an internship in the automotive industry, here are four reasons why you should choose MTM!

As an intern, you will gain exposure to the fast-paced automotive industry and learn key manufacturing principles, such as lean manufacturing and just-in-time production. Additionally, you learn how the Japanese heritage of our parent companies influences our culture of mendomi and how kaizen is crucial to our spirit of continuous improvement.

Each student is assigned a project at the start of the semester and works on the project throughout the duration of their internship with their mentor and manager. Interns at MTM work directly with their mentor to identify areas of improvement to meet safety, quality, and productivity goals for their department, giving them hands-on experience and exposure to working with different teams. At the end of the semester, interns participate in report-outs where they have the opportunity to present their work to our executive leadership team.

Every intern is assigned a mentor and a manager. Interns are encouraged to work with their mentor throughout the year and seek opportunities to shadow, learn, and ask questions. Mentors check in with the students and provide support to help with their projects, report-out preparation, and career plans. MTM also provides training that focuses on critical thinking and problem-solving solutions to help interns develop their projects.

Students who intern at MTM can implement new ideas, create change, solve problems, and leave behind a lasting legacy. Our students’ impact on the company has totaled over $5 million, including cost savings, created and retained sales, jobs, investments, and time reduction. Many students return for multiple semesters, with several students receiving full-time job offers after graduation!

Overall, MTM is invested in the next generation, and we want to provide meaningful opportunities for students to learn and grow, both personally and professionally.

Interested in applying? Visit Internship Application – APC (ua.edu) and indicate “Mazda Toyota Manufacturing” for company preference. After applying, APC will review your resume and set up a phone screen to discuss opportunities available at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing.

In the fall of 2022, our executive leadership saw not only the need for leadership training, but a need to add additional leaders to cover those sent to training. The unanimous consent was, “Let’s get this done the right way to ensure our company’s success.”

In December 2022, the HRD Department hired four Production Group Leaders from the floor to become our trainers for LEAD Academy. Shortly afterwards, we started the first LEAD Academy classes in February 2023 with 19 Group Leaders and 24 Team Leaders.

Since that initial class, we have graduated 157 Group Leaders and 399 Team Leaders for a total of 556 of our 731 total plant leaders. Our goal is to have 30 Team Leaders and 20 Group Leaders for each cohort and have achieved a 90% participation rate due to our executive commitment.

Our Group Leaders have additional training that includes systems they use to manage pay, record keeping, legal issues, and so on.

Both groups also participate in a community outreach project during their time in class. Some examples have included helping clean up a daycare, assisting in Harry Potter Day at the library, and serving at a community-wide Thanksgiving meal. We always want our community to know that we don’t just build vehicles at Mazda Toyota; we are your neighbors, too.

Following completion of the program, we revisit our graduates and do a post-graduate audit to ensure they are using the tools we gave them in class.

LEAD Academy is designed to train and uplift our team members so they have what they need to continue to grow.

In the past, MTM has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation through the implementation of best practices from our parent companies, as well as the adoption of new ideas and technologies. This core value has been exemplified across departments and subject areas to advance both manufacturing and team member development.

In terms of well-being, MTM is committed to advancing team member safety at our facility through the introduction of innovative safety technologies.

This exoskeleton suit alleviates shoulder burden on the team member and is especially useful in processes where team members spend significant portions of their workday in an overhead posture. Over time, this prolonged posture can strain the shoulders, forearms, and elbows. The IX SHOULDER AIR aims to balance the weight of the arm to reduce strain and improve team member comfort.

“It has been great to work with the various MTM team members and their staff of engineers and safety professionals,” says Marvyn Rieger, SUITX’s key account manager for automotive customers in North America. “Throughout the testing and implementation of SUITX exoskeletons, team members have been very open-minded and provided the necessary feedback to practically integrate the exoskeletons into their everyday routines.”

MTM sees this device as especially useful for the diverse needs of our team member population.