THE MAGAZINE FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS - MAY 2021
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THE MAGAZINE FOR M AY 2 0 2 1
TOYOTA D E A L E R S H I P S
in this issue:
click on headlines to quickly access
The Gift of Connection: How a Toyota Dealership Dealer Doings: Springhill Toyota Was Prepared
Reconnected Long-Term Care Residents with with a Lifesaving Device When a Customer Went
Loved Ones (cover feature) into Cardiac Arrest
3 Things You Need to Know About Toyota’s Plant Dealer Doings: McCord’s Vancouver Toyota Has Been
in Texas in Business for Nearly 40 Years; Its Community Impact
Extends Far Beyond the Dealership’s Walls
SPRINGHILL TOYOTA DEALER DOINGS | 01
REUNITED
Lisa Perry (front) is pictured with
the team who helped save her life,
including three nurses who happened to
be at the Springhill Toyota dealership
when she went into cardiac arrest.
How to Save a Life
When a customer went into cardiac arrest, Springhill Toyota
was prepared with a lifesaving device.
— CATHERINE WOMACK
At Springhill Toyota in Mobile, Alabama, “It was really scary,” Ricardy recalls. “I ran out of my office
and saw one of our customers lying on the floor. Honestly,
General Manager Mike Ricardy’s office is it didn’t look good because she was unresponsive and blue.
located on the showroom floor in earshot I didn’t think she would make it.”
The woman on the floor was Lisa Perry. She was sitting in
of the customer service waiting area. the customer service area waiting on her vehicle to be
serviced when she went into sudden cardiac arrest.
On October 13 of last year, Ricardy was sitting in his office Slumped in her chair, her heart stopped beating and
going about his day as usual when he heard something she stopped breathing.
alarming: Lisa Devries, who worked as a service advisor Perry may not have survived were it not for a set of
at the dealership at the time, was screaming for help, remarkable circumstances and a lifesaving device the
yelling urgently for someone to call 911. dealership had on hand.
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SPRINGHILL TOYOTA DEALER DOINGS | 02
Sitting in the waiting room with Perry that day were Toyota dealerships are not required to have AEDs, but for
Shennon Lambeth, Cindy Hubbart and Makayla Reed, Springhill Toyota Dealer Principal Tal Vickers, the decision to
three customers who also happened to be nurses. In addition have an AED on site was a personal one.
to getting Lisa down on the floor and administering lifesaving “In 2016, my father had a major heart attack,” he says.
CPR, the nurses used the dealership’s automated external “It was a similar situation. He was in downtown Birmingham
defibrillator, or AED, to save Perry’s life. when it happened. The good Lord provided a cardiac nurse,
According to the American Heart Association, a person police officer and AED nearby. Without that AED he
who experiences sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital would have died. Soon thereafter, we bought one for
environment has only a 10% chance of surviving. But when the dealership.”
someone nearby is trained in CPR or an AED is available, After witnessing firsthand how an AED and CPR can save
the chance of survival increases to 50%. a life, around a dozen Springhill Toyota service and
Lambeth, who is a nurse, was well aware of those statistics. sales employees were inspired to earn CPR certification.
“Thank God Springhill Toyota had the AED here,” she told Each employee completed a series of online courses.
an NBC15 reporter. “We knew how to use it, we put it into Then, in February, the dealership brought in a team of
action, and that’s why she’s here.” instructors to finish the in-person portion of the training
Lambeth spoke to the reporter at Springhill Toyota in and finalize their certification.
early January when Perry came back to the dealership to “We are so happy we had that defibrillator here,” Vickers
meet with the nurses who saved her life. Several local news says. “God forbid that situation ever happens again, but if
stations covered the meeting, interviewing Perry as she it does, we’ll be prepared to do whatever we can to
thanked Lambeth, Hubbart and Reed for saving her life. save a life.”
A grandmother of 10, she said she was most happy to have
more time with her family.
“It was an amazing thing,” Ricardy says. “When she came
back into the dealership in January to meet with the A LIFE SAVER
An AED can increase the chance of survival by 50% when
nurses and thank everyone who helped save her life, someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest, according to the
she looked great.” American Heart Association.
On that day last October, no one at Springhill Toyota Photo below not the actual AED used at Springhill Toyota.
knew whether Perry would survive. She was still unresponsive
when paramedics rolled her on a gurney into the back of the
ambulance and rushed her to the hospital. Perry spent the
next six weeks in a medically induced coma before waking up
in early December and learning what happened to her.
Ricardy says everyone at the dealership and all three of
the nurses who administered CPR to Perry were thrilled to
find out in early January that she was alive and well.
“Having an AED on hand might seem like a small thing,
but that day it was actually a huge thing,” he says.
“We’re always looking for ways to better serve our community.
While we hope that none of our customers or employees
ever experience a cardiac arrest, we’re very happy that we
had that AED on hand when it was needed.”
“Thank God Springhill Toyota
had the AED here. We knew
how to use it, we put it into
action, and that’s why she’s
here.”
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MCCORD’S VANCOUVER TOYOTA DEALER DOINGS | 03
Washington State Dealership
Puts Community First
McCord’s Vancouver Toyota has been in business for nearly 40 years.
Its community impact extends far beyond the dealership’s walls.
— LAUREN VALDEZ
PRETTY IN PINK
Staff from McCord’s Vancouver Toyota are committed
to giving back. The dealership donated the pink RAV4
pictured here to a local breast cancer charity called
the Pink Lemonade Project. “It’s important for us
to give back,” says General Manager Phillip Cianni.
“It’s just a no-brainer.”
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MCCORD’S VANCOUVER TOYOTA DEALER DOINGS | 04
“We take tremendous
pride in supporting these
organizations that are doing
such big things in the
community and impacting
so many people.”
THE PINK LEMONADE PROJECT
A Toyota RAV4 gets the pink treatment in support of the the
Pink Lemonade Project, which is among several organizations
McCord’s Vancouver Toyota has supported.
General Manager Phillip Cianni of McCord’s Vancouver Toyota has made
philanthropy and supporting community causes a top priority for the dealership.
“It’s important for us to give back,” Cianni says. “It’s just cancer in the Vancouver-Portland area. In addition to
a no-brainer.” financial contributions, Cianni secured the organization a
One of the causes they’re committed to supporting is the RAV4, which they had specially wrapped in the nonprofit’s
Police Activities League of Southwest Washington, or “PAL.” signature pink color. The pink RAV4 could be seen all over
The nonprofit organization promotes positive relationships the region as the Pink Lemonade Project drove it to
between law enforcement and youth. Over the years, their events.
Cianni and the dealership have partnered with PAL by Cianni said it was their honor to support such strong
participating in coat drives, sponsoring the organization’s members of their community, adding, “it moves all of us.”
annual “Hoopin’ with Heroes” event and donating bicycles to The dealership also takes advantage of Toyota’s charitable
elementary school children. match program, which secures even more funding for
“We knew kids would truly benefit from doing this these groups.
program,” says Cianni, who’s a reserve police officer himself Their philanthropic work doesn’t end there; Why Racing
and has long served on PAL’s board of directors. Events, West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and Salvation
They even provided the organization with a Toyota RAV4 — Army are among other organizations who benefit from the
the PAL logo is proudly displayed on the doors. generosity of McCord’s Vancouver Toyota.
McCord’s Vancouver Toyota is also thrilled to give to “We take tremendous pride in supporting these
the Pink Lemonade Project, a nonprofit devoted to organizations that are doing such big things in the community
supporting and empowering people affected by breast and impacting so many people,” Cianni says.
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HO W A T OY O TA DE A L E R S HIP
Reconnected
L ONG -T E R M C A R E R E S IDE N T S
with Loved Ones
When Jim Lewis’ daughter asked him how Lewis Toyota of Dodge City
could help their community during the pandemic, he thought about all the
long-term care facility residents who couldn’t see their loved ones.
Then he thought about the technology that could change that.
by Catherine Womack
TOYOTA TODAY COVER FEATURE | 06
Jim Lewis knows how MOBILE CONNECTION
John Brent, a resident at the Manor of the Plains, gets a
look at one of 10 Zoom for Home DTEN MEs donated to
important it is to stay
eight local facilities. The DTEN ME is an all-in-one video
conferencing screen.
connected to family,
even when you can’t Jim Lewis says using FaceTime with his dad during
meetings was “easier than heck.” Not only did it allow
Ralph Lewis Sr. to connect with employees, but outside of
be together in person. work that same video conferencing technology made
connections with kids and grandkids easy, too.
Jim Lewis’ dad was Ralph Lewis Sr., founder of the family- Last year, Jim Lewis’ daughter, Jamey Lewis Gonzales,
run Lewis Automotive Group and one of the first people to was looking for a way to help her community during the
open a Toyota dealership in Kansas, way back in 1968. COVID-19 pandemic. Gonzales is the dealer principal at Lewis
Before Ralph Lewis Sr. passed away in 2016, he retired to Toyota of Dodge City, one of four Toyota dealerships the
Minnesota. To help his dad stay connected to family, friends family owns across the state. Through the local Toyota
and employees back in Kansas, Jim Lewis got him an iPad. Dealership Association, Gonzales had access to funding for
“We used it to FaceTime. I’m pretty techy for an old guy,” grassroots programming. She wanted to spend it on
jokes Jim Lewis, now 65. something that would help some of Dodge City’s most
“My dad loved the business and being with our employees,” vulnerable citizens.
he says. “So, I used the technology to put him up on the big As Gonzales brainstormed ideas with her dad, he recalled
TV during meetings. We’ve got nine stores. I’d have all the how he used to FaceTime with Ralph Sr. and suggested they
managers in, and we’d FaceTime him and I’d say, ‘Dad, we try to bring the same experience to elderly people in Dodge
need a message today.’” City separated from family due to pandemic restrictions.
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TOYOTA TODAY COVER FEATURE | 07
“The team loved the idea and showed me how we could
“So, we brought the IT guy
do it in a portable way,” Jim Lewis says. “So, we brought the
IT guy in and asked him to help us source mobile Zoom
room options. The first thing I said to him was, ‘Make it
quality. Make it like Toyota. I want a quality unit.’” in and asked him to help us
Gonzales and her father also wanted to get the mobile
“Zoom rooms” into long-term care facilities quickly so that source mobile Zoom room
families could connect with their parents and grandparents
over the holidays. And that’s why, in early December,
Lewis Toyota of Dodge City donated 10 Zoom for Home
options. The first thing I said
DTEN MEs to eight local facilities. The high-quality touch-
screen devices are designed specifically for Zoom calls and
to him was, ‘Make it quality.
feature large screens for easy viewing. Each one is mounted
onto a rolling cart that can be wheeled into residents’ Make it like Toyota. I want a
quality unit.’”
individual rooms.
Last Christmas Eve, KSN, Dodge City’s local NBC affiliate,
sent a reporter to one of the long-term care facilities that
received a DTEN ME to see how they were being used.
One woman, Sheila Eichman, told the news crew that the
device made a huge difference for her family. She hadn’t MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Jamey Lewis Gonzales (left) and her father, Jim Lewis, stand
been able to see her dad in over nine months and was eager outside the Manor of Plains, a not-for-profit senior living
to brighten his holiday. community in Dodge City, Kansas.
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TOYOTA TODAY COVER FEATURE | 08
For the Lewis family, it’s all about giving back and passing on
Ralph Lewis Sr.’s legacy of joyful giving.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Following in his father’s footsteps, Jim Lewis (center)
celebrates the opening of Lewis Toyota of Dodge City. His
father, Ralph Lewis Sr., was one of the first to open a Toyota
dealership in the the state of Kansas in 1968.
“It just, it means so much,” she told KSN. “And actually
now, with the new tablet, we could do a family call so all of us
could be on the phone call, and that would just make his day.”
Jim Lewis and his daughter got so much positive feedback
from Dodge City’s long-term care facilities and residents that
they are planning to expand the program to their other
Toyota dealerships across Kansas, including in Topeka, where
Ralph Lewis Sr. started the family business so long ago.
For the Lewis family, it’s all about giving back and
passing on Ralph Lewis Sr.’s legacy of joyful giving.
“It’s really simple,” Jim Lewis says. “We love Toyota.
The way Toyota treats us is the way we want to treat
our people.”
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3 Things You Need to Know
About Toyota’s Plant in Texas
— DAN MILLER
Did you know that the more than 3,000 team members at Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Texas (TMMTX) can assemble about 1,000 Tundra and
Tacoma pickups a day? Here’s more…
1. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Toyota broke ground on its in 2019 with an additional $391 million to support the
dedicated pickup truck plant in San Antonio in 2003. Three implementation of the Toyota New Global Architecture and
years later, TMMTX began stamping, welding, painting, other advanced manufacturing technologies. All told, Toyota
plastics and assembly operations in its 2.2 million-square- has now invested over $3 billion in the San Antonio plant.
foot facility set on a 2,000-acre site. The plant is currently in 3. INNOVATION LEADER: TMMTX is the first Toyota
the process of shifting gears to focus exclusively on full-size plant in North America to integrate its suppliers’ production
body-on-frame vehicles, including the Tundra and Sequoia. facilities on the same grounds, and some under the same roof.
That change will be completed by 2022. On the environmental front, TMMTX currently recycles over
2. BY THE NUMBERS: Toyota initially invested $800 1 million gallons of water every day. And its onsite solar panel
million to establish TMMTX. Since then, it has continued to arrays generate over 4 million kilowatt hours (KWH) of energy
build on and expand its operations, including most recently annually.
click arrow to return to TOCSEE HOW FAR IT TAKES YOU.
The RAV4 Hybrid XSE has enough cargo space
to make the most of every adventure.
E D I TO R I A L S TA F F
Senior Manager Manager Editor Writers Design
SCOTT DEYAGER LISA YAMADA MARJORIE OWENS DAN MILLER, DAN NIED AKINSPARKER
AND KRISTEN ORSBORN
toyotatoday.com
Published for Toyota dealers and dealership personnel by the Corporate Communications Division of Toyota Motor North America.
Copyright ©2021 by Toyota Motor North America. Contents may be reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. Address magazine inquiries to:
Marjorie Owens • tel: 469.292.2973 • email: toyota_today@toyota.com • For customer inquiries, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center:
tel: 800.331.4331 • For product and company information: web: toyota.com • tel: 800.GO.TOYOTA
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