Just as we introduced our newest product, the Ponam-31 sailboat, last week, top brand consultancy Interbrand declared Toyota the most valuable automobile brand in the world. And it made us consider some of the ground-breaking non-automotive products that Toyota manufactures all around the world. Here are seven that are of great note.
In This Article...
Boats
With the Ponam-28, Toyota entered the marine industry in 1997. All Toyota boats come with automobile engines that have been adjusted specifically for use in boats. Give yourself a pat on the back if you already knew that.
Our most recent seafood dish
The Ponam-31 is an example of a brand-new boat type called a sports utility cruiser. The 31-foot catamaran can accommodate up to 12 people and is powered by two 3.0-liter Land Cruiser Prado direct-injection diesel engines. It costs 29,700,000 yen (about 170,000 USD) in Japan.
Robots
The Toyota Motor Corporation has been operating a “Partner Robot” initiative since 2011. consisting of the following four categories: mobility support, life support, work support, and medical and welfare support The program led to the creation of a number of robots, including the Walk Training Assist and Balance Training Assist robots, which are intended to help injured hospital patients recover.
Additionally, Toyota created the human facial recognition software for Kiroboa, a charming 34 cm tall robot that made history in August 2013 by being the first robot to ever communicate in space. On a mission that left the Japanese spaceport of Tanegashima, he traveled with astronaut Kochi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). “On August 21, 2013, a robot made one modest step towards a brighter future for all,” Kirobo declared after reaching space.
Houses
The fact that Toyota has been building homes since 1975 may not surprise even the most ardent of Toyota enthusiasts.
Toyota started experimenting with bricks and mortar by creating a range of detached housing goods utilizing a number of various building processes, all with the goal of “Truly wanting to make Japanese homes better.” Later, this development project grew to include the building of apartments and rental homes. The Toyota Housing Group was founded in 2003 and began operating fully in January 2004.
Toyota now constructs about 15,000 homes annually. A modern home with solar panels and EV charging stations is shown in the photo above. It is one of two “Ecoful Towns” in Tokyo that are close to Toyota City; on the two sites, 67 similar structures have been put in place to provide a glimpse of a sustainable future. Each town’s properties went on the market for sale in October of last year for about 320,000 each.
Fork lift and pallet trucks
At three European locations in France, Italy, and Sweden, Toyota Material Handling UK manufactures forklifts and pallet trucks. Toyota forklifts and its adaptations have received numerous design honors. The BT Movit N-series light-duty towing tractor won the esteemed International Forum (iF) Product Design Award 2014 in the category of product design.
Toyota forklifts are recognized throughout the world for having user-friendly innovations installed, such as the Toyota System of Active Stability (SAS), which enhances truck stability.
The Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), which operates in the four industries of automotive, materials handling, textile machinery, and electronics, includes Toyota Material Handling UK. Sakichi Toyoda, whose mechanical loom revolutionized the Japanese textile industry, created Toyota Industries in 1926.
Sewing machines
Toyota has a significant advantage over its rivals in the haberdashery industry. The first Toyota sewing machine was created under the direction of Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, and has been produced by Toyota since 1946. Every machine should be “Functional yet also Beautiful,” according to Toyoda.
A Toyota sewing machine may now be purchased directly from Toyota Home Sewing for as little as $99. Most major electrical merchants also carry them.
Buses
The Coaster bus has been produced by Toyota since 1969. The Coaster is a cornerstone of Toyota’s global success and a significant component of the company’s history, just like the Corolla, Land Cruiser, and Hilux. Today, hybrid versions of the current version can be seen all over the world, from Bolivia and Panama to Hong Kong and China.
QR codes
In 1994, Denso-wave Inc., a Toyota Motor Corporation subsidiary, is credited with developing the Quick Response (QR) Code.
The initial purpose of the code was to control Denso facilities’ stocks of automotive parts. Traditional bar codes were commonly used, but as the demand to fit more information into a small area grew, Denso formed a team to create a new code in 1992. Within two years, the QR Code was created.
A QR code can hold hundreds of times more data than a bar code since it transmits information both vertically and horizontally. In actuality, a single QR code may encode more than 7,000 numerical characters.
The Toyota Hybrid TS030 & TS040 endurance racing cars, for which the business manufactures electrical components, are most likely where you first noticed the name Denso.
Toyota: a manufacturer of sewing machines?
Kiichiro Toyoda, the man who founded TOYOTA Motor Corporation, oversaw the construction of the first TOYOTA sewing machine with great care. Kiichiro Toyoda was adamant that household goods ought to be both “useful” and “beautiful” at the same time.
Do Toyota sewing machines work well?
Toyota is frequently included alongside Bernina, Brother, and Singer as one of the top sewing machine brands in the world. Although you might still be doubting their quality.
Toyota sewing machines are of excellent quality and are extremely robust. They work well for a variety of types and models that are appropriate for both experienced sewers and those who are just learning.
Which company makes the earliest sewing machines?
An amazing invention with a long history is the sewing machine. If you’ve read our article on the history of the sewing machine, you already know that it was a tale replete with controversy, failure, riots, and fatalities. In-depth information on sewing machine manufacturers will be provided in this page.
When you think about sewing machine makers, a few well-known brands come to mind. A lot of them have a fascinating past. To create a timeline, we looked at the background of the major sewing machine producers.
The 1700sInvented to Support
the sewing machine comes in. Thomas Saint, an Englishman, was the inventor of the first sewing machine in 1790. In order to reduce the amount of labor required for manual stitching, it was created during the Industrial Revolution.
The 1800sThe Boom of the Businesses
Many of the well-known names got their start in the 1800s, which was a significant period for sewing machine producers. This was the sewing machine’s boom. As an upgrade on the original model from 1790, a variety of models were created throughout the early 1800s. French tailor Barthelemy Thimonnier created the first sewing machine that was used widely in 1829.
One of the most recognizable brands in sewing machine history was established in 1851. I.M. Singer & Co., an American business, was founded. founded by Edward Clark, an attorney from New York, and a man named Isaac Merritt Singer. They changed its name from Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865 to The Singer Company in 1963, almost a century later.
PFAFF became the next significant player to join the league in 1862. Georg Michael Pfaff created this German business. To sew leather for creating shoes, the first PFAFF sewing machine was created by hand.
VSM Group (Viking Sewing Machines), a Swedish business, entered the competition in 1872. Formerly known as Husqvarna, it was established in 1689 as a royal armaments manufacturing. Ordering rifles wasn’t necessary at all. Having trouble getting orders, the artisans created a more bloodless product to produce. As a result, Viking and Husqvarna sewing machines were created.
The Last of The Major Players in the 1800s
Bernina, a Swiss manufacturer that created the first hemstitch sewing machine, was the last to enter the fray in the 1800s. In 1893, Karl Friedrich Gegauf created it. The “workshop” had evolved into a little manufacturing by 1900, employing about 75 people. After Karl Friedrich Gegauf’s death in 1928, the factory was taken over by his two sons. After Gustav Gegauf departed in 1947, the imaginative Fritz Gegauf allowed his persona come to represent the business. The leadership of Benin was given to Fritz Gegauf’s daughter in 1959. In 1979, Odette Ueltschi-Gegauf assumed the presidency. In 1988, Odette’s son Hanspeter Ueltschi, the great-grandson of the company’s original founder, finally took over. He was a charismatic and talented leader who is still in charge of Bernina today.
The Early 1900sLate to the Party
Kanekichi Yasui established the Yasui Sewing Machine Company in Nagoya, Japan, more than a century ago, in 1908. You might not immediately think of this as a top contender. However, I can promise you that it is. This business changed its name to Nippon Sewing Machine Manufacturing Company in 1934. This was known as Brother International Corporation in 1955, and Brother Industries Ltd. in 1962.
Yosaku Ose founded Janome in Japan in 1921. Janome Sewing Machine Company Ltd. was established in 1954 and was formerly known as the Pine Sewing Machine manufacture. As pioneers of innovation, Janome has established a reputation. They were the first to create a computerized sewing machine for home use in 1979, and they were also the first to provide professional-quality embroidery for home usage in 1990. They were the first to provide a long arm quilting machine for home usage thirteen years later.
Andre Varaud and Dr. Ramon Cases Robert, a Spanish engineer, formed the Swiss company Elna in 1934. Ateliers Mecaniques de Precision Tavaro SA was another business that started with a much more depressing goal. The Tavannaes Watch Company’s export division was this. The business was well-known for its artillery fuses, which were frequently employed in German 88 mm anti-aircraft guns. Tavaro switched to a more peaceful industry after formerly being in charge of 11% of Swiss military sales to Nazi Germany. Due to a break caused by the Spanish Civil War, its first sewing machine left facilities in 1940.
One of the top sewing machine manufacturers, Juki, was established in Tokyo, Japan, in 1938. It started off with industrial sewing machines and only lately expanded into making home sewing machines.
The Late 1900sThe stragglers
Engineers and administrators from a Japanese company adapt the industrial overlocker for home usage in 1956. In 1963, a fully functional prototype had been constructed from the original wooden prototype. In 1964, they proposed this to the company, but their design was rejected. This led them to resign and form their own business, which is how the Baby Lock brand was created. Since then, the special thread delivery system and air-jet system have been put into service and are employed across the entire range.
What else does Toyota produce?
Toyota Industries designs and produces vehicles, engines, air-conditioning compressors, automotive electronics, stamping dies, and other equipment connected to the transportation industry.
What was the first product that Toyota produced?
Sakichi Toyoda established Toyota Industries Corporation in 1926 to produce and market the automatic looms he had developed and perfected.
Toyota Industries has since encouraged diversification and broadened the scope of its business fields to include textile machines, automobiles (vehicles, engines, car air-conditioning compressors, etc.), materials handling equipment, and electronics.
Which sewing machine brand is the most dependable?
Singer, Brother, Juki, and Janome are the most well-known and widely-used sewing machine brands. These companies produce equipment in the most well-liked price ranges for home sewers. Pfaff, Bernina, and Husqvarna are a few of the more expensive sewing machine manufacturers.
If you look on Amazon, you’ll see that the most popular brands are those with a significant presence in sub-$500 models.
Who makes sewing machines the most effectively?
The world’s top sewing machine maker, Janome, exports its goods to more than 100 nations and is happy to have this position. Even compared to other major companies, a lot of user-friendly and highly advanced sewing machines are manufactured every year.
Who created the original sewing machine?
Barthlemy Thimonnier, a tailor, received a patent for the first mechanical sewing machine in France in 1830. This machine produced a chain stitch using a hooked or barbed needle. In contrast to his predecessors, Thimonnier really started using his machine, and he was given a contract to make uniforms for the French army. Unfortunately, he encountered failure, just like his forebears. All 80 of his machines were destroyed when a horde of torches-waving tailors who were fearful for their livelihoods invaded his factory. After almost escaping, Thimonnier pulled himself up by his mechanically erected bootstraps and created an even more advanced machine. Once more, the rebellious tailors struck, destroying all but one machine, which Thimonnier used to flee. He made an effort to start afresh in England, but it was in vain. Barthlemy Thimonnier also passed away in a poor house in 1857.
Therefore, things did not go well for three of the more notable early European enablers of prt–porter clothing. But what was happening over there? What was happening in that young, goal-oriented, problem-solving nation where destiny was manifested? That’s where things start to become really interesting, though.
What brands does Toyota produce?
The business was initially established as a subsidiary of Toyota Industries, a manufacturer of machines that Kiichiro Toyoda’s father, Sakichi Toyoda, created. The Toyota Group, one of the biggest conglomerates in the world, now includes both businesses. The firm created its first product, the Type A engine, in 1934 while it was still a division of Toyota Industries, and its first passenger automobile, the Toyota AA, in 1936.
Following World War II, Toyota benefited from Japan’s alliance with the US by studying American automakers and other businesses. This allowed Toyota to develop The Toyota Way (a management philosophy) and the Toyota Production System (a lean manufacturing technique), which helped the small business grow into an industry leader and became the focus of numerous academic studies.
The Toyota Corolla, the all-time best-selling car in the world, was developed in the 1960s as a result of Toyota taking advantage of a rapidly expanding Japanese middle class to sell automobiles to. A global expansion that would enable Toyota to become one of the largest automakers in the world, the largest firm in Japan, and the ninth-largest company in the world by revenue by December 2020 was also made possible by the strong economy. In 2012, when it announced the production of its 200 millionth vehicle, Toyota made history by becoming the first automaker in the world to create more than 10 million automobiles annually.
Since the 1997 launch of the Toyota Prius, Toyota has received recognition for being a pioneer in the creation and marketing of more fuel-efficient hybrid electric vehicles. The business now offers more than 40 different hybrid car models for sale worldwide. However, more recently, the business has also been charged of greenwashing due to its skepticism of fully electric vehicles and its focus on the creation of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, such the Toyota Mirai, a more expensive technology that has lagged well behind electric batteries.
Daihatsu, Hino, Lexus, Ranz, and the company’s own Toyota are the five brands under which Toyota Motor Corporation manufactures automobiles. The company also owns stakes in vehicle manufacturing joint-ventures in China (GAC Toyota and FAW Toyota), the Czech Republic (TPCA), India (Toyota Kirloskar), and the United States. These stakes total 20 percent in Subaru Corporation, 5.1 percent in Mazda, 4.9 percent in Suzuki, 4.6 percent in Isuzu, 3.8 percent in Yamaha Motor Corporation, and 2.8 percent in Panasonic (MTMUS).
Toyota’s stock is a part of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX Core30 indices and is traded on the London Stock Exchange, Nagoya Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, and Tokyo Stock Exchange.