Toyota set to boost production at Canadian plant

TORONTO, Sept 13,2002-Reuters reported that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. will announce next week that it is boosting production at its Cambridge, Ontario auto plant, a company spokesman said on Friday.

Toyota spokesman Greig Mordue said the Canadian subsidiary of the Japanese auto giant plans to increase both production and staff at the plant in southwestern Ontario.

"We are going to boost production and we are going to boost employment, but I can't comment on the numbers," Mordue told Reuters.

The Globe and Mail reported on Friday that Toyota Canada will boost capacity by 25 percent and hire some 600 new workers at its Cambridge, Ontario plant.

The plans are in addition to its C$650 million expansion already under way to produce the popular Lexus RX 300 sport utility vehicle, the report said.

The Globe said the latest expansion would boost employment at the plant to almost 4,000, giving the plant the ability to crank out 190,000 Corolla and Matrix models along with 60,000 RX300s per year.

Current production is split between Corolla, Matrix and the Camry Solara.

The added production at this plant could put further pressure on the North American Big 3 automakers who have seen the offshore producers steadily chip away at their market share over the past decade.