Lean Culture Immersion | Go, See, and Learn at the Original Gemba 2026

Through a blend of workshop sessions and site visits, participants will observe and experience the principles of high-performance Lean cultures. Several models of organizational development will be illustrated, including the 4P model that emphasizes People, Process, Purpose and Problem Solving. This framework will offer guidance on how Toyota structures their purpose, people, process, and problem-solving efforts.

A key discussion opportunity will be focused on starting both your individual and organizational action plan that will take your Learning & Development to the next level of performance.

Price: $4,650 Early registration discount price $3,950 by May 15, 2026

• Dates: September 15, 16, and 17, 2026
• Registration deadline: July 31, 2026
• Maximum 30 attendees
• Includes:
  
  • Workshop materials
  • Site visits
  • Distillery tour and one team dinner
  • Ground transportation during events
  • A copy of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way
  • Breakfast and lunch for all 3 days
• All airline and travel expenses to and from hotel, hotel accommodations, and two dinners are attendee’s responsibility
• Event accommodations and workshop sessions will be located at the Downtown Lexington Hilton, just 15 minutes away from Lexington Blue Grass Airport (LEX)

Cancellation Notice: Payment must be received in full by July 31, 2026 in order to guarantee your reservation. Due to the logistics, effort, and prepaid costs that go into this event, no refund will be given after July 31, 2026. However, companies may send a substitute.

• 4-hour Toyota Production System (TPS) Learning Session and Exclusive Plant Tour presented by Toyota’s nonprofit organization, Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC)
• See and discuss specific Toyota Production System concepts, such as Stability, Just in Time, and Jidoka (automation with a human touch)
• Explore how Toyota uses these methods at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) Facility
• Learn from TSSC team members on how they developed the TPS culture outside of Toyota for 30 years at manufacturing companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations
• Experience other Lean best practices through two additional visits at local Toyota suppliers and/or Lean manufacturers

*Subject to changes and/or modifications

Mike Hoseus, Author, Executive Director Center for Quality People & Organizations (CQPO), Lexington, Kentucky

Mike is Executive Director for the Center for Quality People & Organizations (CQPO), an organization developed in 1999 as a vision of Toyota Motor Manufacturing to share Lean Quality philosophy and human resource practices with education, business, and community organizations. Mike is an adjunct professor with University of Kentucky’s  Center for Manufacturing, and a member of the faculty of Lean Enterprise Institute. Prior to CQPO, Mike was a corporate leader for 13 years at Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant both in Human Resources and Manufacturing. Mike currently supports organizations with Lean Culture transformations focusing on the roles of Executive Management and Human Resources and how the quality people value stream connects to the production value stream.

What is TMMK?

In the mid-1980s, Toyota decided to solidify its growing presence in the United States by constructing its first wholly-owned U.S. manufacturing plant. Georgetown, Kentucky was selected to be the site for this historic endeavor and in May 1986 ground was broken on Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA (TMM), later renamed Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK).

Two short years later, in May 1988, the first vehicle rolled off the lines in Kentucky, a white 1989 Toyota Camry LE. Since that time more than 13 million vehicles have come off our lines including the popular models we produce today, which include the Camry, RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus ES 350.

Toyota always strives to find a better way of doing things while putting customers and quality first. This commitment to “kaizen,” or “continuous improvement,” and a customer-first mindset, is why Toyota Kentucky has been home to many firsts for Toyota in the U.S. including being the first to build a Camry, the first to produce a Lexus, and the first to produce a Toyota Hybrid.

What is TSSC?

The Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC) is a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas.

Started in 1992 and celebrating 30 years in 2022, Toyota has shared its know-how gained from years of its auto-making experience with over 500 small to mid-sized manufacturers, government entities and non-profits involved in disaster recovery, hunger relief, healthcare and more.  Based on the philosophies of the Toyota Production System, Toyota collaborates with these organizations to help them become more productive, maximize available resources and improve quality and safety.

TSSC recognizes that sharing knowledge this way helps their partners stay competitive and preserve jobs — or help more people in need — and that benefits us all. TSSC’s 15 full-time advisors travel weekly throughout North America and execute 50 projects annually.

Questions? 

Contact Nicole Pierce at (484) 655-4873 or nicole.pierce@mrcpa.org.