Welcome.  My name is Manthan Pandit.  I’m President of the Bluegrass Automotive Manufacturers Association, which is more commonly referred to as BAMA.

BAMA was founded in 1989 as an independent corporation.  Its original purpose was to provide Toyota Motor Manufacturing USA with a forum for introducing suppliers to basic Toyota philosophies, with a special emphasis on the Toyota Production System.

Initially, BAMA consisted of 14 suppliers that were local to the bluegrass state of Kentucky.  Two years later, six more suppliers were added.  And from that point, growth was swift. An additional 20 members were added in 1993, many from outside the Bluegrass Region. By 1994, Canadian suppliers had joined the association and participants had grown to 57. Today, current membership stands at approximately 120 members.

BAMA members are core suppliers, representing more than 65% of Toyota’s annual purchases and accounting for 60% of the total vehicle cost.  BAMA’s long-term goal is to have 60-80% of all North American Toyota suppliers integrated into the Bluegrass Automotive Manufacturers Association.

The purpose of BAMA has evolved along with its growth over the last decade. Initially, the focus was simply to introduce TPS principles and the Toyota Way.  Now, however, BAMA is a key educational and development resource for all members. It provides expanded opportunities for direct communications with Toyota executives and access to Toyota training programs, while giving members the opportunity to share best practices and collectively raise issues and communicate problems affecting the way we do business.

BAMA is a strong, vibrant organization that has solidified and strengthened the supplier relationship with Toyota and it has enabled our member companies to advance their own initiatives in the areas of continuous improvement, best practices, bench marking, problem solving and cost control.

BAMA and Toyota have a shared goal of delivering the highest quality vehicles at the lowest cost with the shortest lead time.

Thank you.