One of the top-selling vehicles in the world, the Toyota Corolla, is assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi (TMMMS) in Blue Springs, Mississippi.

It takes a Herculean effort to roll 170,000 cars off the assembly line each year. To lend a hand, TMMMS employees are assisted by “Godzilla,” a large material-handling robot, which looks like a big metal arm and can maneuver loads up to one ton.  More than 1,900 Mississippi employees are trained and skilled in stamping, welding, painting, assembling and inspecting brand-new Toyota Corollas every day. Since breaking ground in 2007 and starting production in 2011, TMMMS and its suppliers have created nearly 4,000 jobs and invested over $1.2 billion in the state’s economy. To date, 1.4 million Corollas and counting have been assembled at the plant.

The Mississippi facility is the North American model for promoting sustainable environmental performance. To reduce carbon emissions and save energy during the cooler months, TMMMS employs a geothermal system that uses the Earth’s natural heat transfer for cooling. The plant also utilizes an ElectroCell system, which generates low voltage electricity to produce electrocoagulation. Electrocoagulation is a water treatment technology that causes particles as small as 1 micron to cluster together, improving the effectiveness of the system filters. The ElectroCell system is expected to lessen the plant’s annual water usage by 6%, or more than 4.5 million gallons. Additionally, TMMMS decreases waste by using a handheld device to inspect vehicles for defects. This initiative replaces paper spec sheets and eliminates 22,740 pounds of paper waste per year — that’s the equivalent of saving 273 trees from being cut down.

As part of its commitment to the environment, TMMMS supports biodiversity on its property by maintaining 1,540 acres of wildlife habitats that house grasslands, forests, wetlands and stormwater ponds. This diverse program aligns with Toyota’s sustainability initiative, which lays out three conservation themes: native habitat restoration, green landscaping and pollinators.

TMMMS continues to strengthen its community ties, develop its workforce and assemble efficient and dependable cars.

Learn more about TMMMS here.