Toyota Breaks Ground for V6 Engine Expansion

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., (Sept. 25, 2012) – Toyota broke ground today on the expansion that will support increased V6 engine production at its Huntsville, Ala., engine plant. Community guests joined Toyota to celebrate the occasion.

“We are so pleased to see our plant grow yet again,” said Jim Bolte, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, Inc. (TMMAL). “Not only are we adding more jobs and investing in the local economy, we’re also playing a role in Toyota’s philosophy to build more engines where we sell them. I can’t wait to see more Toyota vehicles with our engines here in our community.”

The $80 million investment marks the fourth expansion for TMMAL since the facility started production in 2003. Total plant investment is expected to reach more than $700 million once the project is completed.

The new facility will increase capacity by 216,000 engines each year, bringing total V6 annual capacity to 362,000. Approximately 125 new jobs will be created, increasing employment nearly 10 percent to 1,150. The increased production will begin in March 2014.

Construction will begin in October on the new 300,000 sq. ft. building that will be added to the southeast corner of the existing facility in North Huntsville Industrial Park. Total square footage at TMMAL will exceed 1.2 million once the facility is completed.

Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield, U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Madison County Commissioner Mike Gillespie participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking with Bolte and TMMAL Maintenance Team Leader Vance Newton.

“The support Toyota receives from our community partners and local government officials has allowed our plant to grow and thrive for more than 10 years,” said Bolte. “Most importantly, we thank our team members for their commitment and hard work. They are Toyota’s greatest assets, and we are lucky to have each and every one of them on our team.”

TMMAL currently assembles 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines for eight of 12 Toyota North American built vehicles. TMMAL is the only Toyota plant globally to produce these three types of engines in one facility.

TMMAL’s Major Milestones

Date	Milestone
February 2001	Toyota announces $220 million investment to build a V8 engine plant. Named Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, Inc., it will employ 350 and it will mark the first time ever that V8 engines will be produced outside of Japan.
June 2001	Groundbreaking ceremony.
April 2003	Production of V8 engines begins.
July 2003	TMMAL announces a new $20 million investment to expand operations to produce V6 engines. 150 new jobs will be created.
July 2004	Groundbreaking ceremony for V6 engines.
September 2004	TMMAL announces a new $250 million investment to double its size and increase engine capacity. 300 new jobs will be created.
May 2005	Production of V6 engines begins.
December 2006	Production begins on the all-new 5.7 liter V8 engine.
January 2008	1 millionth engine produced.
April 2009	Jim Bolte named TMMAL’s first American president.
August 2009	TMMAL announces a new $147 million investment to produce four-cylinder engines becoming the only Toyota plant globally to produce 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines. 240 new jobs will be created.
September 2011	Production of 4-cylinder engines begins. TMMAL’s cumulative investment is $637 million and employment reaches more than 1,000.
March 2012	2 millionth engine produced.
May 2012	TMMAL announces a new $80 million investment to increase V6 engine capacity. 125 new jobs will be created.

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 14 manufacturing plants. There are more than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sold over 1.8 million vehicles in 2011. Toyota directly employs more than 37,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $23 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals nearly $25 billion. Toyota currently produces 12 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sienna, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Venza and the Lexus RX 350.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Tina Gess, External Affairs
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama

P: (256) 746-5407

C: (256) 714-3633

[email protected]