Recently, representatives from Toyota Indiana attended the ribbon cutting of a new volunteer center for Habitat for Humanity of Evansville.
Part of the success of this exciting volunteer center is the result of a year’s worth of work and a strong, decades-long relationship between Toyota Indiana and Habitat for Humanity of Evansville. The collaboration combines the expertise of Toyota team members and the principles of the Toyota Production System and reflects Toyota’s commitment to serving our local communities.
Habitat says the new facility will provide an indoor space that focuses on panelized construction which allows the organization to build major components of the home, such as interior and exterior walls, off-site. This process decreases the amount of time on-site to build each home and allows volunteers to work year-round, increasing the number of homes that can be completed.
Utilizing the world-renowned Toyota Production System, which is a manufacturing framework for conserving resources by eliminating waste, was a perfect match for this project. By eliminating waste and producing only what is needed, when it is needed and using consistent methods for processes that ensure quality and efficiency, the Toyota Production System will help Habitat to get the most out of the new center.
“The biggest box that the center checks is that it gives us an alternative location to continue working when the weather is bad,” said Sister Jane McClure, Major Gifts Officer for Habitat for Humanity of Evansville. “However, that is not the only way we envisioned using this center. We saw a real opportunity to be more strategic and increase our ability to build more homes each year. That’s when we thought of our friends at Toyota.”
For nearly 30 years, Toyota Indiana has worked with the local nonprofit to build homes, communities, and hope. From swinging hammers and erecting walls to consistent monetary donations to support the mission, a deep relationship developed between the two organizations that led to this collaboration.
Sharing Our Expertise As Well As Our Dollars
“At Toyota Indiana, we strive to provide more than just financial support, we want to be a true partner for our community organizations by providing, volunteers and sharing our expertise, as well as our dollars,” said Toyota Indiana President, Jason Puckett. “I am glad Habitat thought to call on us for help with this project.”
Blown Away By Possibilities
Troy Marshall, who has a fifteen-year background in residential construction prior to coming to Toyota in 2002 led this project for Toyota Indiana. He brought members of the Habitat team to the production floor for a first-hand look at the Toyota Production System in action pointing out specific processes that he thought could be used for this project.
He spent weeks understanding the potential uses for the space, what resources were available, and what the end goals were. Through this process, he identified potential areas where work could be improved using standardized work, staging parts by location so they are ready for each process when needed, and using a conveyor system that feeds completed walls to the forklift.
“When you are able to assemble over 1,700 cars a day, you know a thing or two about efficiency,” said Troy Marshall, production group leader, Quality Inspection. “Instead of having five stations building walls all going to the one forklift, which causes a bottle neck and results in volunteers standing around waiting, one of the recommendations I made was to build the wall in sections one station at a time on a conveyor system. When I showed the anticipated outputs of my design to Habitat, they were blown away by what was possible.”
A Path To Grow and Improve
Now that the center is open, Habitat believes that using the volunteer center three days a week to pre-build wall frames and floor systems will knock two days off their current build schedule and increase the number of homes they build each year by five. They think their volunteer center could become a benchmark for Habitat organizations across the U.S.
“Toyota came back to us with a design that took us to our max capacity,” said Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, Construction Director, Patrick Landry. “We backed off a little to meet what our current capacity is but thanks to Toyota we have a clear path to continue to grow and improve.”
Originally published November 6, 2025