With Toyota reporting its daily average sales rate fell 6.6 percent last month, it might be easy to think the retirement of nine U.S. executives is a sign that the company is getting ready for a new start. But at least one analyst thinks something else might be happening. Head hunting. Toyota's February sales drop was nearly as bad as some other automakers, and these nine retirees could be more defectors lured away by other carmakers desperate to salvage their businesses. At least two of the retiring employees have more than 30 years experience with one of the world's most successful companies. Their talents and knowledge would be quite attractive. Hey, it's happened before.
So keep an eye out for these guys to possibly pop up again soon as new hires, like Dave Illingworth, Toyota Motor Sales' senior vice president and chief administrator. He had been with the company for 30 years. Also leaving are 37-year-employee Alan DeCarr, group V.P. and general manager of Toyota Logistics Services; and, after 21 years with Toyota, Jim Aust, VP for motorsports and president of Toyota Racing Development is out, as well.
[Source: AP via AOL Money]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
wrussi @ Mar 5th 2008 3:06PM
cars toyota needs to improve on:
scion brand: its cheap ugly and outdated bring back something like the xA upgrade the TC
toyota corolla: it plain sucks. the mazda 3 and civic beat it
toyota corolla/matrix engine: 2.4l and only 158hp with poor fuel economy? are we still in the 90s?
toyota fj: toyota, there are not that many rich offroader wanna be's as you might have originally thought
toyota/lexus landcruiser: at $60k are they serious? with todays gas prices?
Frylock350 @ Mar 5th 2008 3:21PM
Corolla has class-leading non-hybrid fuel economy. But yes over all the car sucks.
Polly Prissy Pants @ Mar 5th 2008 6:31PM
RE: "toyota corolla: it plain sucks. the mazda 3 and civic beat it"
Yeah, it sucks so bad it's the best selling car in the world. Name one car sold in the U.S. that offers the safety features, the fuel economy, the build quality and the reliability of a new Corolla for less money. Other manufacturers should be so lucky as to have a car as sucky as the Corolla.
AlexP @ Mar 5th 2008 7:25PM
Regarding the "best selling car in the world" comment:
Wasn't that the F-series? Regardless of that, it's not 'a car' that's the best-seller, but the nameplate.
The 2.4 IS a sh*tty engine if you compare it to anything Toyota's put in the last-generation Scions, turbo'ing the updated 1.8 (it's not brand new, all they did was adding VVT tech. to the exhaust system improving HP by 6 or something like that) would've done a better job overall.
stang_fan @ Mar 5th 2008 3:28PM
Wouldn't it be much more likely that these 9 men were instrumental in Toyota's recent sales slide, and they are being shown the door?
I've come close to buying a Toyota several times, sometimes it was used, and sometimes it was new. But, gawd, they are such grey/boring cars...I don't want a super reliable car THAT badly.
Polly Prissy Pants @ Mar 5th 2008 6:37PM
Once you're middle management or above it's almost impossible to get outright fired. They'll shuffle you around and make up new jobs for you where you won't screw things up so badly but once you're 'part of the club' you're set for life. Even if these people were grossly incompetent, I would bet that if they left it was only because they had a better offer somewhere else.
Mi key @ Mar 5th 2008 5:10PM
So how many Executives are leaving GM and FORD after their bad Feb. sales numbers? Or should I say they’ve leaving for Greener and/or more Secure workplaces?
Way to flame the Toy, Autoblog.
@Stang Fan - I'm the same way. Give me a car with wicked style and/or Lackluster/Rotten quality car any day to a Nice Reliable Family Sedan or Econo Box or Luxury Car or "Youth" targeting division.
alex @ Mar 5th 2008 6:58PM
How exactly is it flaming "the toy" to suggest that other companies might be luring away toyota executives? try reading the article next time.
whofan @ Mar 5th 2008 7:19PM
Toyota has been riding a wave of good fortune for quite some time. Its their turn to take a little slide. Their obsession to be the new GM has led them to make the same mistakes GM made. Just look at their horrendous line up of blah design.
Fierce momentum is whats keeping Toyota rolling. Trouble is there`s nothing feeding that momentum. Every other manufacture now has quality equil to or surpasses Toyota`s, even Hyundai. In short Toyota sucks.
jonathan @ Mar 5th 2008 7:37PM
Toyota is the most profitable car company in the world. They make good cars that people buy. GM comes nowhere close to Toyota in quality and profitability.
Most people buy a car for reliability and Toyota delivers that.
sdcarnut @ Mar 5th 2008 8:28PM
This sounds alot like my job, Hero to zero all in one month, does not matter how many killer months you had, if you have a bad month get your pink slip ready !
CDN Crockett @ Mar 5th 2008 9:08PM
I'll take any one of the jobs!!!
stratojet @ Mar 6th 2008 8:13AM
Toyota made those nine executives, they did not make Toyota. Their way of doing things is in a way superb. They have an extraordinary process that average people can execute. We will see what Jim Press, their former executive, can do with Chrysler.
Jeremy B @ Mar 6th 2008 8:38PM
Sigh Sigh Sigh. Most of you people takin up for toyota are blind. Yes toyota has to most reliable and fuel efficient vehicles! So what! If they was smart, they would have created vehicles that was exciting AND reliable/fuel efficient! A prius for the family guy and a RWD muscle car for the V8 thirsty son! Yes CAFE is trying to take over, but as GM, Chrysler(bless they poor hearts), and others are trying to fight them, Toyota is kissing their ass! I wish i was an excutive of Toyota. I have big plans for them. I just wanna sit and cry when i look at chrysler, GM, and others try to make an exciting car but cant do it because of Toyota; yet toyota refuses to make exciting cars! I hope toyota visits this forum and not only checks out almost you all's complaints(they are very true), but im going to make a list of things to do and how the vehicle lineup should be in another box, to keep this box from being so long.
Jeremy B @ Mar 6th 2008 9:07PM
Many of you may think this is unnecessary, but this is as close as im going to get to comtacting toyota personally:
-Ditch Scion ASAP(useless)!!!
-create a new line of 4cyl, 6cyl, and 8cyl engines
-Ditch the yaris and corolla hatch, bring back corolla coupe and downgrade base sedan and coupe to match price for yaris
-Put avalon on the same platform as LS(yes economanics! RWD!) and downgrade base avalon to make it cheaper(about 21k), and upgrade top-of-the-line avalon to match base lexus LS, and create a coupe version for avalon.
-make a V8 an option on the Avalon
-create sport moniker(R/T, SS competitor) for the corolla, camry(and solara), avalon, highlander, tacoma, tundra, 4-runner and RAV4.
-create untra sport moniker(SRT competitor) for the corolla, avalon, tacoma and 4-runner; and make ultra sport corolla AWD standard to erase torque steer
-raise all lineup's MPG by 5
-Drop one lexus crossover and one lexus SUV(it doesnt matter which but having 2 of each which are basically derivatives of each other is a waste of money and space).
-create avalon based sportscar to compete with challenger, mustang, and upcoming camaro
Deeper suggestions to come(if i feel like typing).