Toyota Breaks Ground for Alabama Engine Plant Expansion

April 27, 2005 -- Huntsville, AL -- Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama broke ground here today for a plant expansion that will bring 300 more jobs and an additional $250 million investment.

The plant's current team members joined community leaders to celebrate the second expansion of the engine plant in less than two years. Announced in September 2004, the expansion project will nearly double the size of the current facility. Once complete, the plant will have 800 team members and the investment will total $490 million. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2006.

"We are continuing our growth because of the dedication of our team members. I want to thank you all for your hard work. I know we will have continued success as we approach this new project," said Kunihiko Ogura, president of TMMAL.

Since May, 2003, TMMAL has supplied V8 engines for the Tundra full-size pickup produced in Indiana. The expansion celebrated today will allow for the production of additional V8 engines. These engines will be built for the Tundra and Sequoia SUV produced in Indiana and Tundras that will be produced at a new Toyota plant under construction in San Antonio, Texas.

"This expansion will allow us to build more of the powerful trucks our customers demand. These Alabama made engines will be the heart of those trucks," said Atsushi Niimi, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America.

The plant will start production of V6 engines this summer. The V6 will be used for the Tundra as well as Tacoma pickup trucks made in Fremont, California and Baja California, Mexico.

Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer said, "Toyota has become an important addition to our city since the moment they arrived here. They are a wonderful corporate neighbor who gives back to the community, and I am so pleased that construction is beginning on the next phase of their operations in Huntsville. I look forward continuing the positive working relationship that the city has formed with Toyota."

By 2006 Toyota will have the capacity to build 1.66 million vehicles and 1.44 million engines annually in North America. The automaker currently employs more than 36,000 people throughout North America. The company's direct investment is over $15.3 billion. Annual parts, materials, goods and services purchased from North American suppliers total another $25 billion. Toyota's North American-produced vehicles include the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Sienna, Solara, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, and the Lexus RX 330.