Assistant Manager of Logistics Planning for Toyota
Air guardsman keeps Toyota strong in America.
by Warren Duffie
Kevin Thornberry knows how to handle large operations and remain cool under pressure.
As an active-duty airman, he coordinated combat airlift missions for a C-130 unit in the Middle East. Currently a captain in the Kentucky Air National Guard, he serves as a logistics officer for the 123rd Airlift Wing.
Today, as a civilian, Thornberry oversees a massive supply chain that results in thousands of new automobiles being built each day. He works as an assistant manager of logistics planning for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA).
Sound complicated? It is and it isn’t. Based at Toyota’s North American headquarters in Erlanger, Ky., Thornberry heads up a distribution network supplying auto parts to seven manufacturing plants in the United States and two in Canada and Mexico.
It’s a behemoth operation. Each day, a fleet of trucks visits about 750 parts suppliers, traveling more than 400,000 highway miles and delivering over 40,000 cubic meters of freight. And if that’s not challenging enough, the delivery system changes regularly.
“Every six weeks, we review the distribution network to eliminate waste and improve efficiency,” says Thornberry, 37. “Maybe we can shorten a delivery route or partner with a local American supplier instead of relying on oversea shipments. As good as Toyota is, the company is constantly working to improve.”
“Years ago, Toyota only manufactured a few models in the United States, but that number has increased dramatically and is still growing,” he continues. “We have to be adaptable as our parts volume increases and the distribution network becomes more intricate.”
Such strong attention to detail normally results in 12-hour days for Thornberry. Beginning at 7:30 a.m., his workdays encompass meetings with Toyota engineers, reviewing delivery routes and schedules, developing team members, and looking for ways he can improve operations.
“It’s a tough, demanding, and rewarding environment,” Thornberry says. “There’s always a sense of urgency, and you operate at a very high intensity. Thankfully, the skills I developed in the military – mentoring, self-management, and the ability to organize – help me every day.”
On the Job
Toyota is the No. 2 carmaker in the world and enjoys fantastic financial health. It has established a powerful presence in North America – employing more than 41,000 people and buying more than $28 billion materials, goods, and services from local suppliers. An army of Toyota’s lovable Camry and Corolla models can been seen on highways crisscrossing our nation. In fact, last year the company’s North American facilities produced more than 1.5 million vehicles and 1.4 million engines, delivering them to over 1,700 Toyota, Lexus, and Scion dealerships.
What’s been the key to Toyota’s fantastic success? It’s people. And the company is looking to add more veterans to its workforce.
On the Lookout for Veterans
For starters, the company recently launched the Job Link Referral program, with the purpose of informing active-duty military, reservists, and guardsmen about job openings at independent dealerships.
In addition, when Toyota-employed guardsmen and reservists are called to active duty, they keep their healthcare benefits; their life insurance continues; and they can continue their 401(k) contributions or make a “catch-up” payment when they return. Toyota has also designated an ombudsman to assist these employees and their families while they fulfill their military obligation.
“Toyota is ideal for veterans,” Thornberry says. “It’s very similar to the military in some ways – it demands a lot from its people, creates a challenging, fast-paced environment, and is committed to high-quality products.”
The Transition
The Kentucky native joined the Air Force in 1989 to find a sense of purpose in his life. The college sophomore was unsure about what career path to follow, and the military seemed like an attractive alternative. He enlisted with the idea of finishing college while in uniform, he was deployed for Operations Just Cause (Panama), Desert Shield, and Desert Storm.
Upon returning in 1991, he accepted a “Palace Chase” assignment allowing him to enter the Air National Guard, attend college, and return to active duty at the same rank. Thornberry graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1994 with a degree in finance and was ready to rejoin the Air Force full time when fate intervened.
Toyota called him about a job opening at a manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky. — where Thornberry had actually applied before enlisting. “It’s funny how my application had been with the company for a few years and they still called me. I was interested in manufacturing and really wanted to work for Toyota because they brought a lot of good jobs to Kentucky.”
So Thornberry began work on the assembly line installing windshields. In 1999, he earned an executive MBA from Xavier University and attended officer training school for an Air Force commission. This additional training and leadership vaulted him to his current position a few years ago.
“When I joined Toyota, the pay was, and still is, a lot better than in the military’s,” Thornberry says. “Even on the assembly line, I was earning more than I did as an enlisted guy. Plus, Toyota’s benefits are some of the best in the industry.
Thornberry’s Advice
The civilian work environment is different than the military one. “In the service, you can be more direct and give orders. But when dealing with civilian employees, you have to be more diplomatic. It requires a great deal of people skills.”