GEORGETOWN, Ky. (Jan. 8, 2014) – With the first steel column now in place, construction is officially underway on the future assembly line of the first U.S.-produced Lexus. Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) commemorated the milestone earlier today by having members of the company’s leadership team sign the structure.  
 
Last April’s announcement to localize production of the ES 350, which has never been assembled outside Japan, aligns with Toyota’s continuing strategy to assemble vehicles in the markets where its customers live. The ES is Lexus’ bestselling sedan, with 72,581 units sold in the U.S. in 2013, up nearly 30 percent from 2012.  
 
Localizing production of the luxury sedan will generate 750 new jobs in the Bluegrass. Additionally, Toyota is investing $360 million in its Kentucky plant, the company’s largest and most experienced manufacturing operation in North America. Production of the ES 350 is set to begin in the fall of 2015, with plans to assemble approximately 50,000 units in Georgetown annually.
 
“Today’s milestone is symbolic of the bright future that lies ahead of us,” said Wil James, president of Toyota’s Kentucky plant. “We’re proud of our long history of building world-class vehicles in the Bluegrass, and look forward to raising the bar once again by adding Lexus to our lineup of Kentucky-made products.”