German businesses expect forklifts, warehouse equipment, software, automation, racking, energy solutions and service to work as an integrated intralogistics system. Toyota Material Handling Deutschland meets this expectation with solutions designed around each customer’s processes and material flows. Toyota Industries Corp. marks its centenary this year, with its German materials-handling business approaching its 20th anniversary next year.
Two principles long valued by the Toyota Group — kaizen (continuous improvement) and genchi genbutsu (understanding conditions firsthand) — guide the German organization alongside its emphasis on technical precision, reliability and quality.
“Together, this creates a powerful combination of long-term thinking, continuous improvement and practical implementation,” Managing Director Jan Lorenz said. Lasting progress, he added, depends on employees taking responsibility and developing alongside the business.
Local knowledge brings those principles to customers across Germany. Toyota Material Handling Deutschland serves businesses of all sizes, from small companies to international enterprises, through branches and a network of authorized dealers. The branches provide access to Toyota’s broad solutions and service capabilities, while the dealers provide a strong regional presence and in-depth knowledge of local customers and markets. Teams visit facilities, observe operations and consult the people working there before recommending anything from a forklift to a complete material-flow solution.
“Ultimately, customers are less concerned with the distribution structure itself than with having a partner who is easy to reach, understands their business and supports them reliably,” Lorenz said.
“We also apply the kaizen principle to automation — not to automate as much as possible, but to start where there is clear added value and then develop the solution step by step.”
Jan Lorenz, Managing Director of Toyota Material Handling Deutschland
German labor shortages, cost pressures and complex operations are accelerating interest in automation. Toyota Automated Logistics brings the group’s materials-handling experience together with warehouse automation, software and systems-integration expertise. Lorenz stresses that automation should create clear operational and economic value rather than being implemented for technology’s sake.
“We also apply the kaizen principle to automation — not to automate as much as possible, but to start where there is clear added value and then develop the solution step by step,” he said.
German specialization and pragmatism complement Toyota’s commitment to quality and employee development. Lorenz sees the differences as a source of progress during technological change.
“The strength lies in bringing these different perspectives together and learning from one another,” he said.
