TG Missouri to hold 30th-anniversary celebration Saturday in Perryville

Olympic gold-medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will deliver the keynote address during TG Missouri Corp.’s 30-year anniversary celebration Saturday.

General manager of corporate administration Rhonda Ruark, who will emcee the event, said the day’s theme will be fostering community relationships.

“A few years ago, Perry County was listed in Forbes magazine as a growing community and talked about what other areas could do to emulate what Perry County has done and grow their communities and the businesses in their towns,” she said. “What I’m proud of is the partnership we’ve had with the city of Perryville from the beginning.”

The Perryville, Missouri, plant — Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.’s first located outside Japan — has 1,600 full-time employees and produces an array of automotive parts.

“A lot of people don’t know we’re making a lot of car parts for Toyota, GM, Subaru,” Ruark said. “Steering wheels, airbags ... just about anything in a dashboard, your radio controls, air-conditioning vents, cupholders, console in the middle, plus front and back chrome trim, we do all that as well.”

Top executives will be in attendance, including Toyoda Gosei Co. president Naoki Miyazaki, the company’s North America president Yoshiyuki Fujita and TG Missouri president Todd Huber.

Perryville Mayor Ken Baer also will speak about the plant and its relationship with the city.

As part of the celebration, a 5-kilomoter trail for community use, which Ruark said symbolizes the company’s cooperation with and commitment to the Perryville community.

The celebration also will include an open house and tour of TG Missouri, workshops focused on Japanese culture and a performance by a Japanese drum group.

“It’s always exciting to learn about a different culture,” Ruark said, adding there will be opportunities for area residents to practice with chopsticks, learn origami and try on kimonos.

The public celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m. at TG Missouri’s Perryville location, 2200 Plattin Road.

Joyner-Kersee will hold a meet-and-greet event after her keynote address, which she will deliver about 2 p.m.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627

Pertinent address:

2200 Plattin Road, Perryville, Mo.