Lexus
In 1983, Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda summoned a secret meeting of company executives, to whom he posed the question, “Can we create a luxury vehicle to challenge the world's best? In 1989, after an extended development process, Lexus began building luxury vehicles in Japan. Currently, Lexus has four facilities operating in Japan and is a division of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Cambridge, Ontario, is home to the first Lexus manufacturing plant in North America. It produces the RX luxury sport utility vehicle, the best selling SUV Lexus ever built. The Cambridge facility is unique in its resemblance to a Lexus dealership, rather than a typical automotive plant. The first RX produced in this facility is on display in the showroom, surrounded by polished wood floors and ceiling-high glass–an impressive setting that reminds all employees to take pride in their craftsmanship.
No matter where a Lexus is built, one thing remains constant: The idea that every step of the production process should reflect the Pursuit of Perfection. As of today, this Cambridge facility has earned seven J.D. Power and Associates plant-quality awards, including four gold awards.