Lean Events and Training / Events / Lean Leadership Learning Tour
Dates
November 10, 2025 - November 13, 2025 ET
Location
Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky
Why you should attend
Experience firsthand how top companies apply lean principles to drive leadership development, problem-solving, and operational excellence as you build a network of peers in leadership.
Cost
$6,600 per person Standard Pricing
$6,000 per person Co-Learning Partner Pricing
Includes three nights hotel, all meals, and transportation during tour.
Seats are limited.
Apply to attend »The Lean Enterprise Institute has joined forces with Toyota to offer an exclusive and private lean leadership learning experience, taking you behind the scenes at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, GE Appliances, and Summit Polymers. The aim of this partnership is to provide valuable insights into the world of lean manufacturing and the lean principles that drive success.
During this tour, gain insights into:
GE Appliances serves as a compelling example of what can be accomplished through such a journey. In a bold move, they invested over $1 billion dollars in new plants, equipment, and technology. Additionally, they took the innovative step of insourcing the manufacturing of many new products and prioritizing employee training. While they undoubtedly encountered numerous hurdles along the way, they successfully overcame them by integrating lean learning into their leadership and fostering a culture of problem solvers.
At Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, you will witness the Toyota Production System (TPS) in action at its finest, right here in America. This experience goes beyond a tram tour—you’ll take part in both a guided tram and walking tour, allowing you to see TPS principles up close. You’ll learn about the challenges the plant faces, the ongoing work to address them, and how Toyota collaborates with its suppliers to ensure the highest quality and shortest lead times.
At Summit Polymers, see how a Tier 1 supplier has successfully applied TPS outside of Toyota for over 30 years. Their refined heijunka system enables high-volume, low-frequency production that ensures real-time visibility and responsiveness.
This Lean Learning Tour is designed for leaders at all levels, from senior executives (CEOs, Presidents, Vice-Presidents) to functional and operational leaders (Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, and Operations Managers).
For the best learning experience, we strongly encourage attending with colleagues. Having one or more learning partners enables richer discussions around how insights gained from the tours and activities could be applied in your organization.
You can cancel your registration for this learning tour four weeks before the tour start date for a full refund. A cancellation occurring within two to four weeks of the tour dates will be subject to 50% of your registration fee. A cancellation occurring within two weeks of the tour will not be refunded. To cancel, please call LEI at (617) 871-2900 or email summits@lean.org.
Agenda Overview
President and Executive Team Leader
Lean Enterprise Institute
Joshua Howell is president and executive team leader at the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI). For over a decade, he has supported individuals and organizations with lean transformations for improved business performance. As a coach, he helps people become lean thinkers and practitioners through experiential learning, believing such an approach can lead to enterprise-wide improvement. Regular e-letters […]
Read more about Josh Howell
Senior Coach and Chief Engineer, Strategy
Lean Enterprise Institute
Mark Reich spent 23 years working for Toyota, starting in 1988 with six years in Japan in the Overseas Planning Division, where he was responsible for Product Planning and worked with Chief Engineers to define vehicle specifications for overseas markets. This was at a critical time when Toyota was introducing the Lexus to the world. […]
Read more about Mark Reich—> Highlight the benefits and key takeaways of the tour
—> Show how Toyota, GE Appliances, and Summit Polymers sustain lean leadership
—> Make a compelling case for professional development and business impact
“What a great week of learning! I am very energized to get back to our Gemba. Appreciate everything LEI did to give us the best Lean learning experience anyone could have. Everyday was filled with great learning. John’s wrap up teaching at the end was priceless. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone pursuing TPS.”
Greg Lobsiger
President, Loren’s BodyShop, Inc.
“I was so impressed. One of the most positive takeaways was interacting with people from different industries; people that I normally wouldn’t have interacted with. I really enjoyed the [Toyota] plant tour. Probably the most impactful time for me was in the huddle room; seeing where the plant president stands every morning at 8.30.”
David Mannix,
Senior Director, performance excellence, Alliance Radiology
“The training team from LEI was nothing short of amazing. I was completely impressed with the professionalism, knowledge. Helpful nature of this team. Thank you for hosting this. I will go back to Elkay as a much better lean thinker.”
Rorrie Kramer
Assembly Supervisor, Elkay