BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

and Herzegovina.Business Development in the Soviet UnionIn February 1991, the Soviet Union was dismantled, and the countries that hadformed the union created the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). ToyotaTsusho had begun operations in Russia from the Soviet era.In October 1990, Toyota Tsusho opened the first Toyota Authorized ServiceStation (TASS) in the suburbs of Moscow to supply Toyota parts and servicefor Toyota vehicles. In December of the same year, Toyota Tsusho establishedBusiness Car (BC) as a joint venture with the Soviet Union’s Ministry of ForeignEconomic Relations Avtobaza. Toyota Tsusho shipped the Toyota Crowns to BCand BC started a taxi and rental car business for Japanese and foreign nationals inMoscow. After that, BC began selling and repairing Toyota forklifts and sellingToyota vehicles and parts. In March 1996, BC established Toyota Center Bitsa(TCB).In the Russian Far East, Toyota Tsusho established Dittola as a joint venturewith a local company in Nakhodka in April 1992, and it started sales and repairs ofToyota vehicles and sales of Toyota parts, and was certified in July 1993 by TMCas a TASS. In January 1996, Dittola opened a branch in Novosibirsk to enhance itssales services. In 2001, the company became the wholly owned subsidiary, ToyotaTsusho Vostok Auto. However, this subsidiary was subsequently liquidated.In December 1996, Toyota Tsusho opened an office in Nizhny Novgorodwhere gathered Russia’s largest automobile company, GAZ, and to other majorautomobile manufacturers. Toyota Tsusho supplied Toyota and Hino engines as anoriginal equipment manufacturer (OEM).Opening ceremony for first Toyota AuthorizedService Station in the former Soviet Union(October 1990)Toyota Center Bitsa (TCB)Business Development in Former Soviet CountriesIn October 1994, Toyota Tsusho established Asto-Toyota Tsusho Ltd. (ATTL) inthe port city of Odessa in the Ukrainian Republic, one of the countries that makeup the CIS. ATTL, a 50/50 joint venture with local companies, launched sales ofToyota vehicles in the Ukrainian Republic. In March 1996, ATTL improved itsfunctions as a service station to include parts sales and repairs, and received TASScertification in October of the same year.In February 1998, Toyota Tsusho purchased the shares of the local companieswith which it had set up ATTL and formed Toyota Tsusho Ukraine (TTU),a wholly owned subsidiary, to further improve services. However, TTU wasliquidated in April 2003.In October 1998, Toyota Tsusho Butya (currently TOO Toyota TsushoKazakhstan Auto) was established as a joint venture with local partner Butya.In October 1999, Toyota Tsusho Butya completed a new company buildingwith a showroom, improved service, and a parts warehouse and began full-scaledevelopment of Toyota vehicle markets.History115