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V6 Production Under Way at Toyota's West Virginia Plant

4 August 1999

V6 Production Under Way at Toyota's West Virginia Plant; Engine Will Power All-New Avalon

    BUFFALO, W.Va., Aug. 4 -- Production team members at Toyota
Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (Toyota West Virginia) this week
celebrated the official start of V6 engine production at the Buffalo plant.
The West Virginia-made engines are heading to Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky
vehicle plant where they will be installed in the newly-redesigned Avalon,
Toyota's flagship sedan.
    "The start of V6 production represents another significant milestone for
Toyota West Virginia," said David Copenhaver, general manager of
administration.  "West Virginia-made engines are now in Corollas and Avalons.
We are proud to be manufacturing the best engines for the best cars made in
North America."
    Toyota West Virginia now has 482 team members and that number will top 500
by the end of this year.  Four-cylinder engine production began last November.
When fully operational, the facility will have the capacity to produce 300,000
four-cylinder engines and 200,000 V6 engines per year.
    The West Virginia-made 3.0 liter V6 engine features 24 valves and dual
overhead cams.  The lightweight, all-aluminum design will provide excellent
power and fuel economy for the all-new Avalon, which will be launched in late
September.
    The start of V6 engine production in West Virginia is also a significant
milestone for Toyota's North American manufacturing operations.  "Toyota's
West Virginia plant is a key part of our localized growth in the U.S. and
Canada," said Teruyuki Minoura, president and CEO of Toyota Motor
Manufacturing North America , referring to the company's commitment to "act
locally, think globally."
    Last week, Toyota West Virginia also officially started construction of
its automatic transmission plant, a separate building adjacent to the existing
engine plant.  On July 26th, the first steel beam was raised.  The building
will be "closed in" by the end of this year and the start of production is
scheduled for early 2001.  The automatic transmission plant will employ an
additional 200 team members and will be capable of producing 360,000 automatic
transmissions a year for Kentucky-built Camrys.  The plant will be a
significant step in Toyota's globalization plan.  It will mark the first time
the company's automatic transmissions will be built outside of Japan.
    Toyota now employs some 20,000 people at its North American manufacturing
operations.  This year the company is on its way to producing a million cars
and trucks for the first time in North America in a calendar year.  Toyota
uses both domestically and globally sourced parts in the vehicles it produces
here.  In 1998, the company spent $8.65 billion for parts and components
purchased from some 500 American suppliers and an additional $2 billion on
goods and services.  When Toyota West Virginia is fully-operational, it will
employ 800 people with a projected total investment of $900 million.