(WGHP) — She's a pioneer who continues to explore.
First of all, April Mason is a woman in the always male-dominated field of car manufacturing. She is also an employee who has worked at Toyota for 30 years.
She joined Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky as a team member relations manager, ironically enough to help the company build a $1.3 billion company to build an all-new three-row electric SUV. Renovation work is currently underway.
Some of the batteries powering these new SUVs will come from Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC), a nearly $14 billion factory complex being built at the Greensboro-Randolph megasite near the Liberty town of Randolph. It is probably safe to assume that it will be sourced from county.
The seven battery manufacturing complex will employ 5,000 people when fully operational and will produce large volumes of hybrid electric, plug-in electric, and fully electric car and truck batteries in the coming years.
Mason is currently one of three general managers at TBMNC. She is in charge of “Plant Service”. Other general managers oversee “quality” and “manufacturing” respectively.
“So I have production control responsibilities,” she told me in a recent interview at TBMNC's temporary office and training facility in southwest Greensboro. “Basically, it's transporting all the materials used to make the battery to the factory, delivering them to the line, and delivering the finished product back to the customer.”
Because TBMNC also plans to make batteries for other automakers (Toyota is not yet ready to name those companies), Mason has created a team to act as a liaison between Toyota and outside companies. He will lead.
She also has extensive experience in human resources, having worked as a human resources manager and talent development manager at Toyota, as well as leading the implementation of Toyota Motor North America's talent review system.
Hiring team members at TBMNC is not part of her oversight role, but she is certainly qualified to talk about it.
“I went into this job (this new position at North Carolina State) expecting recruiting to be a big challenge, but that wasn't the case,” she said. “We've had great success here.”
As of this writing, TBMNC employs more than 800 people. There are also 1,000 people who have job offers and are waiting for their start date.
Most, if not all, of the new hires are learning at a special training center (which Toyota calls a “dojo”) in a temporary building in Greensboro, where they train their batteries in a clean, dust-free environment. It also includes a training center where simulations are made.
Mason believes this environment will help bridge the gender gap that exists not only in the automotive industry but also in other STEM fields.
“So manufacturing has a reputation for being dirty, dark, and dirty,” she told me. “Battery manufacturing is completely different. It's more like being in a lab or hospital environment. So we think it's appealing not only to women, but also to most people who have traditionally been resistant to manufacturing.” think.”
Mason isn't worried about slowing electric vehicle sales either.
“Toyota is in business for the long term,” she said. “We are always looking at ways to optimize our operations, which is exactly why we are taking a multi-pathway approach.”
This multi-path approach is important because Toyota makes multiple types of electric vehicles (hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles, and fully electric vehicles), so Toyota tailors its battery manufacturing operations to its best-selling vehicle types. Includes the fact that it can be adjusted.
“We couldn't be more happy to be here. We're so excited for the future,” she told me. “The people we have hired, we have a great team, and the team continues to get better.”
Words from a true pioneer.
Click here to learn more about Toyota employment opportunities.
