Video: Louisville Gets Big Gift; Toyota a Big Donor

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Winston Wood and Veneer may have to wait on rebuilding after the tornado that wiped out its new Louisville plant April 28, but its sister companies throughout the world are chipping in.

The company presented a check for $72989.36 Thursday to the Winston County Disaster Relief Fund. The money came from donations from employees at the company’s other locations.

The company was just weeks from opening a refurbished wood products plant in Louisville when the tornado struck. The company, Louisville and Winston County plan to start anew and rebuild. The city recently got a $10 million insurance check for the plant and is seeking architects and engineers to design the project, which eventually will employ 400 people and create another 700 indirect jobs.

“We belong to the communities where we have our businesses and investments. We take an interest in the communities and we become a part of it. If this disaster had happened to some other community in which we have an interest as we do here, we would have been there too,” said Richard Baldwin, president of Winston Plywood and Veneer.

Toyota also has been a big donor to relief efforts. Toyota Mississippi and its team members collectively donated of more than $35,000 to volunteer organizations responding to tornado relief efforts in North Mississippi. The donation included a company donation of $20,000 to the Northeast Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross and $15,000 from Toyota team members and the company’s dollar-for-dollar donation match program.

“We are very proud of our team members for their outpouring of support and generosity following the tornado this spring,” said Sean Suggs, vice president at Toyota Mississippi. “Our team members genuinely care about the welfare of others, and I am humbled to work beside each of them.”

Supplier donations totaled $23,000 with giving ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per company. Toyota Boshoku, Systems Automotive Interiors (SAI) and Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi (APMM) each donated $5,000; Diversity Vuteq donated $4,000; and Toyota Tsusho America, Blue Springs Metals, Magnolia Automotive Services and Green Metals each donated $1,000.

“I am very proud of our supplier’s for the work they have done,” said Masafumi Hamaguchi, Toyota Mississippi president. “Toyota, our suppliers and team members worked as one team to help people in need and to support local communities as they heal.”

In addition to monetary donations, Toyota and supplier team members volunteered 1,445 hours of personal time removing debris from damaged areas. Volunteer hours account for approximately $27,960 based on a report by the nonprofit organization Independent Sector.