Toyota Material Handling’s King, Douglass Honored with 2023 Women in Supply Chain Award

COLUMBUS, Ind. (August 18, 2023) – Toyota Material Handling (TMH), the North American leader in material handling products and solutions, has announced Lea Ann King and Kim Douglass are recipients of the 2023 Women in Supply Chain Award. The award, given annually by Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive, honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship and actions set a positive example for women at all levels of the supply chain network.

“Lea Ann and Kim are exceptional leaders who are paving a path for women in the supply chain and material handling industries,” said Bill Finerty, Toyota Material Handling President & CEO. “These women embody Toyota’s founding principle to contribute positively to society and make the world a better place for all while encouraging others to do the same.”

King, Toyota’s Vice President of Legal and General Counsel, is a dynamic leader who inspires others. King founded the Toyota Women’s Impact Network (T-WIN), the company’s women’s initiative that ensures Toyota has an inclusive culture and attracts diverse talent. She is a champion for women in all roles and creates mentorship and teaching opportunities for female professionals. King also showcases her commitment to the supply chain industry by serving on the board of the Industrial Truck Association (ITA), including her most recent position as chair of the ITA’s lawyer’s committee from 2016-2019. She continues to advocate for women in the legal field, regardless of the industry.

Douglass, an Assembly Team Leader at Toyota, is a trailblazer and role model in the material handling and supply chain industry. Last year, Douglass became the first woman to medal in the Toyota Material Handling Group’s Global Skill Competition, earning the gold in the 2022 competition for Assembly. Since her historic win, Douglass has committed to advocating for other women within the organization. She represents Toyota’s commitment to encouraging more women to pursue careers in the material handling industry. She also serves as an ambassador for the Toyota Women’s Impact Network. Douglass advocates for women to receive the skills training, professional development, mentoring and coaching they need to have successful careers in the material handling manufacturing world.

Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive received over 400 submissions for this year’s award, which set the publication’s record for any of its award categories. Of that number, 118 were submitted by male counterparts, and 39 women were self-nominated.Learn more about Toyota Material Handling’s sustainability mission and view the company’s Sustainability Report, or by visiting ToyotaForklift.com.

Learn more about Toyota’s impact on the supply chain industry at ToyotaForklift.com, and explore career opportunities with Toyota here.

About Toyota Material Handling

Toyota Material Handling offers material handling products and solutions, including forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, pallet jacks, container handlers, automated guided vehicles, and tow tractors, along with aerial work platforms, fleet management services, and advanced automation engineering and design. Toyota’s commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction, the hallmark of the Toyota Production System, extends throughout more than 230 locations across North America. With access to an industry-leading lineup of material handling products, Toyota dealers are uniquely positioned to help solve wide-ranging challenges in warehousing and distribution. Built for every application, Toyota can provide the most complete set of solutions for material handling, automation, energy, advanced logistics, and warehouse optimization. For more information or to learn more, visit ToyotaForklift.com.