Toyota to Announce Plant in Kentucky

01/02/96

Both the Associated Press and Reuters are reporting that officials from Boone County, Kentucky have announced that Toyota is going to open a plant in northern Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinatti. Toyota will announce their intentions today. The Boone County plant would allow Toyota to centralize manufacturing, production engineering, purchasing and quality operations. The plant may employ up to 600 people.

The deal will involve incentives for Toyota, but details haven't been announced. Toyota received a $72 million incentive package when they opened a light truck plant in Princeton, IN last fall.

Other major bases for Toyota operations in the United States include Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. in Torrance, CA, and the administrative unit Toyota Motor Corp. Services of North America Inc. in New York. Toyota's main manufacturing arm is Toyota Motor Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. in Georgetown, KY.

Toyota's move to open a new plant is seen as a move to consolidate it's North American operations. Industry analysts say the move illustrates the importance Toyota gives to the North American Market.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel