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Age is just a number, right? Yes, but sometimes that number is worth celebrating. That just happens to be the case with the Toyota Kentucky plant which just turned 30! The announcement to start building the plant came in late December of 1985 and thirty years later, that same plant has grown to employ 8,000 people and covers 169 football fields. “Toyota has had a powerful impact on Kentucky’s economy over the past 30 years,” said Governor Matt Bevin. “Continued investment in the Georgetown plant, including the production line for the first Lexus made in the U.S., has put the Commonwealth on the map as a top state for automotive manufacturing. Add to that the more than $120 million invested in local communities, there is no doubt Toyota is a strong community partner. We are truly grateful to have them in Kentucky.” Read the full article from Toyota here and check out the video above and the photo below that captures the groundbreaking all those years ago. "30 Years After Groundbreaking, Toyota Kentucky Proves Age Is Only a Number | Corporate." 30 Years After Groundbreaking, Toyota Kentucky Proves Age Is Only a Number | Corporate. Toyota USA Newsroom, 8 June 2016. Web. 15 June 2016.

Different, crazy, awesome, and insane. Sound like something you’d be interested in? Well, check out Hotel Tacoma then! The video above is just the first of a handful of crazy videos that showcase the awesomeness that went on in the Arizona desert. Toyota gave Andy Bell, Drew Bezanson, Roland Sands, Louie Vito, and friends a bunch of motorized (and non-motorized) bikes, side-by-sides, trucks, and more so they could push each one to its limits. Check out the fun in the video above and the YouTube playlist for even more behind the scenes action!

As the latest corporate pairing between ridesharing services and manufacturer, Toyota and Uber are stirring the pot when it comes to auto travel. Rivals of both companies have already started to pair off, but as the leader in ride sharing, Uber is looking forward to expanding for finances and technology. Toyota’s investment is still under wraps, but we know that they will be collaborating with Uber drivers with regards to leasing options. "Toyota vehicles are among the most popular cars on the Uber platform worldwide and we look forward to collaborating with Toyota in multiple ways going forward, starting with the expansion of our vehicle financing efforts," Emil Michael, Chief Business Officer of Uber, said in a statement. Burlington, VT is the closest city with Uber service. Fiegerman, Seth. "Uber Finally Gets Its Big Automotive Partner: Toyota." Mashable. N.p., 24 May 2016. Web. 25 May 2016.

Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz recently sat down with Toyota USA Newsroom for an interview. In this interview, Lentz gave us a peek into his daily life and how he became CEO of the American branch of one of the largest automotive companies in the world. Early in his career, Lentz experienced a setback in the form of a “personality conflict” with his “hard-school” manager. After some searching and consideration, Lentz stayed with Toyota but took a demotion so that he could remain with the company he loved and still stay true to himself. During this period, he realized that he had “always put my future in the hands of my manager” which he knew had to change if he wanted to move upward through the company. Through his years at the company he has realized that being a "tyrant-boss" isn’t going to get you very far. “You’re not going to motivate people that way. Even back in the day, if you were very dictatorial in your management style, you got exactly what someone asked you to do. Not less, but not more. Today if people really understand why they’re doing something, I think they give more.” said Lentz. During the interview, he goes on to say that while traveling the world was fun at first, being a CEO can be very tiring and isn’t just about sitting behind a desk and signing policy documents. When asked what he loves about his job, Lentz responds that he loves “watching people develop and progress in the company, knowing that’s the bench of the future leaders, so that we continue with this company that develops people from within. That we don’t have to go outside necessarily. To me, that’s fun.” For the full interview visit http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/jim-lentz-ceo-day-life.htm "Meet the Man | Corporate." Meet the Man | Corporate. Toyota USA Newsroom, 17 May 2016. Web. 19 May 2016.

When trading in a used vehicle, the value usually decreases as the mileage, condition, and age increases, unless that vehicle is a 2007 Toyota Tundra with over one million miles on it. Yes, you read that correctly, one million miles. Owner Victor Sheppard of Houma, LA, was the sole owner of the Tundra and accumulated the staggering mileage by driving all over the country for work. And while oil changes, timing belts, and other smaller components needed to be changed, the engine, transmission, and paint job are all still original. “My truck looks great, and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new,” said Sheppard. “Even the seats look just as they were when I bought it. They’re not as clean, of course, but they’re not busted or worn out.” So what did Toyota give Sheppard for his ’07 Tundra? A brand new 2016 Toyota Tundra. And what was their justification for this seemingly unbalanced trade? “Having a million-mile truck in as pristine condition as this one with original parts is a truly rare find,” said Sweers. “Our team plans to tear down the entire truck, bumper-to-bumper, top-to-bottom to evaluate how the quality and safety we designed, engineered and built into the Tundra has held up to over one-million miles of real-world driving and help us continue providing ever-better vehicles for our customers.” "What Is a Million-Mile Toyota Tundra Worth? | Toyota." What Is a Million-Mile Toyota Tundra Worth? | Toyota. N.p., 11 May 2016. Web. 17 May 2016.

Toyota is teaming up with the youth of today in some unique and engaging ways! Recently, two of these ways were a TeenDrive365 Video Challenge and a Next Generation Mobility Challenge. The first of the challenges, the TeenDrive365 Video Challenge, announced its winner in late April. The video, as seen above, demonstrates the importance of paying attention to the road when you are behind the wheel.  The winners, high school sophomores, Matthew Post and John Caporaletti, ask the question “Would you take your hands off the ‘wheel’ if you were driving a Beluga whale?” It may seem like a silly question but Post and Caporaletti make a convincing argument. Their PSA will air on Discovery’s networks and they will receive $15,000 for winning. “We hope this video inspires fellow Sherwood High School friends and students to drive more safely, we hope it sends a broader message across the Washington, D.C. area, and across the nation,” said William Gregory, Principal of Sherwood High School. “Driving a car takes tremendous responsibility – for teens and adults of all ages – and Matthew and John perfectly illustrated that.” As for the Next Generation Mobility Challenge, three finalists have been selected. This challenge asked millennials to create innovative solutions for serious mobility issues that local and worldwide communities face. The finalist are Carolyn Taclas, Keala Verigan, Sydney Quinton-Cox and James Greisen with the Mobile Community Center; Maria McKiever, Szymon Gluc and Shangyanyan Li with a mobile mailbox; and Esther Kim, John Mathai, Ayush Singhal and Niklaus Sugiri with StreetSmart, a navigation system for the blind and visually impaired. Voting is still open so visit this link to cast your vote! "A ‘Whale’ of a Video: High School Students from Washington, D.C. Area Win Grand Prize in Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge | Corporate." A 'Whale' of a Video: High School Students from Washington, D.C. Area Win Grand Prize in Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2016. "Pedal to the Medal: Students Chart Course for New Mobility Solutions | Corporate." Pedal to the Medal: Students Chart Course for New Mobility Solutions | Corporate. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2016.

A new Guinness World Record™ was set by Toyota Motor Company for having the most vehicles in a hybrid parade. The parade took place at the Alameda Air Field where there were a total of 332 Prius owners in attendance to participate in the parade and help break the record. “The Bay Area is home to hundreds of thousands of proud Prius owners, and we wanted to pay homage to the Prius this Earth Day,” said Pete Carey, vice president and general manager for Toyota Motor Sales. “We wanted to celebrate this revolutionary vehicle and the folks behind the wheel who’ve always been our early-adopters, thinking bigger about their carbon footprint and environmental impact.” Currently, about 40 percent of the Prius vehicles in the country are owned by customers that live in California, with Norther California being a particularly popular Prius area. "Prius on Top…Talk about a Broken Record | Toyota." Toyota USA Newsroom. N.p., 23 Apr. 2016. Web. Apr. 2016. <http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/prius-guiness-world-record-parade-2016.htm>.

Toyota and Serious Eats are back with the latest installment of the Serious Eats Culinary Dream Date series, where the two team up to send readers in six different cities on a date of a lifetime. On these dates, couples are picked up in a Toyota Sienna and whisked to a private dining experience at their city’s hottest restaurant. This episode begins with Sissy’s Southern Kitchen head chef and owner, Lisa Garza. Lisa is driving around Dallas, Texas to prepare for the evening’s date. Sissy’s Southern Kitchen specializes in soul and comfort food, so a major part of the experience at the restaurant is that home-like feeling the atmosphere and food provides. Because Lisa is very hands-on in the preparation process, she requires a lot of hands-free features, like the voice-activation radio and hands-free trunk release. She also requires a lot of space, which the Sienna has plenty of. Toyota then picks up couple of 23 years, Kelly and John, who are the proud owners of their own Toyota Sienna since 2008. They remark how easy it is to move, remove, and position seats and how that makes all the difference during travel and day to day. Watch their dining experience at Sissy’s below!

The all-new Toyota Prius c is now the official vehicle of the Best Buy Geek Squad! Just this week over 1,000 Prius c vehicles that were designed as official Geekmobiles were dispatched throughout the U.S. Having a fuel efficient vehicle like the Prius as the official vehicle of the Geek Squad will be extremely beneficial considering agents generally log in about 12.6 million miles per year making over five million house calls. Therefore, with an EPA-estimated city fuel economy rating of 53 mpg, this vehicle will be extremely beneficial for both cost savings and as well as emissions reduction. If you would like to take the Prius c out for a test drive and see what Geek Squad Agents love about this model  then head on over to DELLA Toyota in Plattsburgh where we have this model available.

The fourth episode of the Serious Eats Culinary Dream Date has been released and this time the episode takes place in New York, NY. The lucky couples in this episode are being treated to a night out at Hearth, a restaurant in the East Village that offers top quality dining experience with an assortment of rich foods that are sure to delight your palate. In the beginning of this episode we meet owner and head chef, Marco Canora as he travels through the city in the all-new Toyota Sienna while discussing what he loves about being a chef and the satisfaction that preparing food for others brings him. Later in the episode, we meet the two couples, Bea and Paul, and Lydia and Michael, who are both enjoying rare nights out as they both have small children at home. After hearing a bit about each couple, we get to see part of their experience at Hearth including dining on some incredible dishes while also having some one-on-one conversation with Chef Canora about his cooking.

In two of our previous blogs we have shared the ultimate date night experiences that are being brought to six couples courtesy of Toyota and Serious Eats. In each of the episodes, couples are being treated to a night out at one of the most popular restaurants in their home city where the head chef will be providing them with a one-of-a-kind personal dining experience. In episode three, two couples from Chicago are being whisked away in the 2016 Toyota Sienna to have their date night at the popular restaurant Topolobampo run by talented Chef Rick Bayless. As each of the couples head off to dinner in the Sienna they discuss what the night and good food means to them. Additionally, we see Chef Bayless taking the 2016 Sienna out earlier in the day to pick up some extra ingredients and discuss his passion for cooking and the kind of experience he hopes to bring people at Topolobampo. See the full episode in the video below.

Toyota and Serious Eats are back with the next installment of their series of the Culinary Dream Date. This episode begins by following Jamie Bissonette, head chef at Toro, a Spanish-influenced tapas restaurant in the South End of Boston as he prepares for couple Genie and Adam’s dream date. Jamie spends the day driving around in the Toyota Sienna, and explains that working in the restaurant business requires you to own a car that is easily maneuverable, easy to park, and has cargo room for staff and supplies. He remarks that the Toyota Sienna exceeds all of these expectations, and after not owning a car for ten years, this vehicle made him want to buy a new car! For their culinary dream date, Genie and Adam were also chauffeured around in the Toyota Sienna, a perfect date vehicle. Watch the full video below to see the delicious tapas Jamie cooks for Genie and Adam at Toro! ToyotaUSA. "Serious Eats Culinary Dream Date – Toro, Boston MA | 2016 Toyota Sienna | Toyota." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 24 Mar. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biSWnnTZ0HY>.