Finding a Match in an Unexpected Place: Toyota Canada and its Dealers Announce Continued Support for Canadian Blood Services and the Héma-Québec Foundation

(TORONTO, ON. – June 15, 2017) For Toyota, Canadian Blood Services and the Héma-Québec Foundation – three organizations with vastly different products and services but a similar dedication to quality, efficiency and improving the lives of Canadians - an unlikely partnership has turned out to be a perfect match.

Today, Toyota Canada and its dealers announced that they will be extending their support for Canadian Blood Services and the Héma-Québec Foundation with a combined annual donation of $300,000.

“When we saw the impact that continuous improvement of the processes at Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec could have on people’s lives, it immediately resonated with us,” said Stephen Beatty, Vice President, Corporate, Toyota Canada Inc. “Toyota and its dealers are proud to support two organizations focused on continuously improving Canadian quality of life.”

Collaboration across the organizations began as a knowledge sharing project in 2015. For more than 70 years, Toyota has excelled at developing its manufacturing processes and has worked hard to continuously improve them. Based on the philosophies of the world-renowned Toyota Production System, Toyota has helped hundreds of other organizations enhance productivity, maximize available resources and further improve quality and safety.

In its first Canadian project in 2015, the Toyota Production System Support Centre (TSSC) collaborated with Canadian Blood Services to identify opportunities for process improvements at its production and distribution facilities. Significant improvements included additional production time, a 40% reduction in packing time, and a 30% reduction in steps taken by employees every day.

This year, Toyota has started to work with Héma-Quebec’s Public Mother’s Milk Bank, with TSSC helping identify opportunities to increase capacity for future output.

The additional financial commitment will help support the continued improvement and success of the two organizations. The partnerships will also allow for local community engagement across the country and for sharing stories of Canadians positively impacted by the work done at the two organizations.

“We have made a commitment to continually improve productivity, service and quality for Canadians. By partnering with Toyota, we’re significantly improving our production and distribution processes,” said Dr. Graham Sher, CEO, Canadian Blood Services. “With this new phase of our partnership, we also have the tremendous opportunity to tap into each Toyota dealership’s community and engage people at both the national and regional levels to raise awareness about donation.”

“By this great financial commitment from Toyota Canada and its dealers, we create a true partnership that will help the next generation of recipients,” said Patrick Bérard, Executive Director, Héma-Québec Foundation. “This support will allow the Héma-Québec Foundation to continue being dedicated to saving lives, by supporting and financing innovative projects that help Héma-Québec do more, do it better and do it faster.”

More information on how to donate, volunteer or support financially is available on the Canadian Blood Services, Héma-Québec Foundation and Héma-Québec websites:

Across Canada (excluding Québec): To discover all the ways you can Give Life and to book an appointment, download the GiveBlood app or visit www.blood.ca.

In Québec: fondation.hema-quebec.qc.ca and http://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca

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About Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services manages the national supply of blood, blood products and stem cells, and related services for all the provinces and territories (excluding Quebec). It operates an integrated, pan-Canadian service delivery model that includes leading an interprovincial system for organ donation and transplantation. Its national scope, infrastructure and governance make it unique in the Canadian healthcare landscape. Canadian Blood Services is regulated as a biologics manufacturer by Health Canada and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health. Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization.

About Héma-Québec Foundation

The mission of the Héma-Québec Foundation is to provide financial support for the creation and development of innovative projects that will help to keep Héma-Québec at the forefront of knowledge and services in all its areas of activity and expertise, allowing them to do more, do it better and do it faster.

About Toyota Canada Inc.
Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles.  Toyota has sold over 5 million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 287 Toyota and Lexus dealerships.  Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability in the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive.  TCI’s head office is located in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax and parts distribution centres in Toronto and Vancouver.  Toyota operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than seven million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid.