TOTO Supports Oklahoma Tornado Relief And Rebuilding

MORROW, Ga., Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- TOTO announced today that it has shipped its beautiful, high-performance bathroom fixtures to assist more than 2,000 families in Moore, Shawnee and El Reno, OK, with their long-term rebuilding process.

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"Our hearts go out to the victims of May's devastating tornadoes," said Bill Strang, President of Operations for the Americas, TOTO USA. "We wanted to aid our friends and neighbors in Oklahoma with their long-term recovery process, so we are sending three 40-foot container trucks laden with our beautiful designs that offer superior performance—toilets, faucets, showers, and accessories—to help families in these communities rebuild their homes."

TOTO is assisted in this humanitarian project by its partners WinWholesale, Inc., Oklahoma City Winnelson, RoadOne IntermodaLogistics, and the Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project.

"We're grateful to our partners on this philanthropic project," said Jason Fitzsimmons, Vice President of Sales, US Sales Division, TOTO USA. "WinWholesale and Oklahoma City Winnelson are providing much needed long-term storage for the three containers that house our products. RoadOne IntermodaLogistics is providing the logistics support for the 900-mile journey from our facilities in Fairburn, GA, to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project is working with families in the local communities to help them get back on their feet by minimizing gaps in the relief and recovery system."

"WinWholesale and Oklahoma City Winnelson are very pleased to partner with TOTO in providing in-kind bathroom fixture donations to the victims of the horrific tornado that struck central Oklahoma last May," said Jack Johnston, President, WinWholesale Inc. "Oklahoma City Winnelson has been part of the community for more than 30 years. Company president Bill Cudd and his team are grateful for the opportunity to help their neighbors rebuild their lives."

"We are proud to be part of this important rebuilding effort that is helping fellow Americans in their time of need. As a national company, RoadOne IntermodaLogistics believes in supporting the communities it touches everyday with its intermodal, trucking and logistics solutions," said Ken Kellaway, CEO, RoadOne IntermodaLogistics.

TOTO is grateful for the local area support it has received from the Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project, a collaboration of case management through American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, and the Oklahoma United Methodist Church, other nonprofit organizations, government, non-government, church and civic organizations in partnership with the United Way of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

"Recovery is not a sprint, rather a marathon so ongoing resources are needed to provide assistance. We could not do this without support from generous donors like TOTO. This donation provides a much needed resource for families impacted by the recent tornadoes," said Kami Kuykendall, Senior Director of Recovery with the American Red Cross, a partnering agency in the Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project.

Kuykendall continued, "The Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project has been working hard for months helping families in all areas affected by the spring storms and is committed to assisting clients with resources to meet their disaster-related needs. Our case managers are mobile and can go to clients, or clients are welcome to come by one of our three office locations. Help is just a phone call away at 1-866-477-7276."

About TOTO:
TOTO USA is headquarters for the Americas Division of the TOTO Global Group, which was established in 1917 with the founding of TOTO, Ltd., in Kitakyushu, Japan.  TOTO is the world's largest manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and fittings with $5.1 billion dollars in annual sales. For nearly 100 years, TOTO has been the recognized leader in performance innovation and design with products that enhance the luxury bathroom experience. Today, the company maintains 23,500 employees in 69 offices around the world and owns manufacturing facilities in Japan, Mexico, the USA, China and Europe with an affiliated network of more than 80 production facilities worldwide. With over 1,500 engineers on staff and three centers devoted to research and development, TOTO is dedicated to engineering products that respect the environment while meeting people's needs for comfort, beauty and performance. TOTO's corporate philosophy – People-First Innovation – is the guiding principle for all the company's processes, from engineering and design to manufacturing and sales. Consumers enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing they purchased a brand that innovates to improve people's quality of life. Winner of numerous domestic and international awards and recognitions, TOTO is the only plumbing manufacturer honored as Water Efficiency Leader by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company continues to raise industry standards and consumer expectations as to what is possible in the bathroom, as TOTO believes a high-quality bathroom is an experience and an everyday luxury people value and appreciate.

For more information, consumers may visit www.totousa.com or call 1.888.295.8134, Option 5.  Follow TOTO on Twitter (@TOTOUSA) and become a TOTO fan on Facebook

About WinWholesale, Inc.
WinWholesale Inc. (www.winwholesale.com) is a leading supplier of residential and commercial construction and industrial supplies and materials headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The privately-held company has more than 550 wholesaling locations in 45 states and offers entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to own part of the local business. Collectively, WinWholesale is known as "The Win Group of Companies." In the group are companies, such as Winnelson, conducting business-to-business wholesale distribution. The products include plumbing and heating supplies; hydronics; industrial pipe, valves and fittings; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment; electrical equipment; industrial and commercial fastening hardware; waterworks and utility supplies; domestic, commercial and industrial pumps, and turf irrigation and landscape supplies. Follow WinWholesale on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About RoadOne IntermodaLogistics
RoadOne delivers a comprehensive single source logistics solution to customers by providing high quality, reliable port and rail container drayage, terminal operations, dedicated truckload solutions, transloading, warehousing and distribution solutions nationwide. RoadOne operates in over 40 locations with 1,000 drayage tractors throughout key intermodal locations across North America.
RoadOne is committed to serving the changing logistics and transportation service needs of customers throughout North America.This vision of consistently offering diversified service offerings means that RoadOne will grow and innovate to help customers meet not only their business requirements but also increase the satisfaction of their customers.
www.roadone.com 

About the Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project
The Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Project (ODRP) is an integrated team of case managers provided by a partnership between the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent De Paul and the Oklahoma United Methodist Church. There are offices open in Shawnee, Moore and El Reno to make it as convenient as possible for individuals and families.

The magnitude of devastation caused by a set of storms on this scale impacts the community in a variety of significant ways. Case Managers are trained to assist individuals and families in identifying assistance for the needs caused by the damaging impact of this disaster. These needs include anything from transportation, housing, home repairs to medical and mental health care. All cases are different and are based on the individual and/or family needs. Those needing assistance can call 1-866-477-7276.

SOURCE TOTO