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Three Toyota Facilities Celebrate Milestones in the U.S.; Kentucky Plant Set Stage 20 Years Ago for More Growth

ERLANGER, Ky., May 17, 2006 -- Three Toyota plants in the U.S. are celebrating milestones, including the 20-year anniversary of the company's first wholly owned U.S. facility -- Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK). Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (TMMI) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV) are marking 10 years of operations.

The three plants are celebrating over the next several days with local officials and team members in their communities of Georgetown, Ky. (TMMK), Princeton, Ind. (TMMI) and Buffalo, W. Va. (TMMWV). The anniversaries are based on the years that construction began at each facility.

Combined, the three plants employ about 13,000 and represent an investment of $8.8 billion. TMMK builds the Camry, Avalon, Solara, and engines. TMMI builds the Tundra, Sequoia and Sienna. TMMWV produces engines and transmissions for the Corolla, Matrix, Camry, Sienna and Lexus RX350.

The early success of TMMK led not only to TMMI and TMMWV, but to a North American manufacturing base that now includes 12 plants and two more under construction in Texas and Ontario. A Camry assembly line is also being added at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) plant.

"The success of TMMK's team members and suppliers certainly paved the way for expansion throughout North America over the last 20 years," said Seiichi Sudo, president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA).

Toyota established operations in North America in 1957. There are more than 1,700 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sell more than 2.5 million vehicles a year. Toyota directly employs more than 38,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $16.8 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $28 billion.

According to a 2005 Center for Automotive Research study, Toyota, along with its dealers and suppliers, has generated nearly 400,000 U.S. jobs, including jobs created through spending by direct, dealer and suppliers employees.

Toyota produces 10 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sienna, Solara, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra and the Lexus RX350. By 2008, Toyota will have the annual capacity to build about 2 million cars and trucks, 1.44 million engines and 600,000 automatic transmissions in North America.