More Toyota Plants in U.S.A.

05/10/96

Reuters reported that Toyota Motor Corp. broke ground for a $700 million truck assembly plant in Princeton, Indiana. The corporation also announced plans to build a $198 million engine plant in Buffalo, West Virginia, near Charleston.

Both of the new plants are part of Toyota's major effort to build more of its vehicles in North America. By 1998, the company plans to be able to build 1.2 million vehicles in North America every year--right now they max out at 1 million.

The new plants in Indiana and West Virginia will spread Toyota's investment and influence to two new states. Currently Toyota operates a major assembly plant in Georgetown, Kentucky; an aluminum foundry in St. Louis, Missouri; their new North American Headquarters near Cincinatti, Ohio; and a joint venture with GM, the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., in Fremont California.

Toyota currently employs 6,600 workers in their Georgetown, KY plant. The new Indiana plant will employ about 1300 workers, and the new engine plant in West Virginia should employ about 500 more. In terms of production, the Indiana plant will crank out about 100,000 T100 pickups a year, beginning in fall, 1998. The plant in West Virginia will be able to build about 200,000 four-cylinder engines a year, starting in 1999. The engines will power North American-built Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm cars starting in 1999.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel