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Toyota Announces Expansion Of Indiana Plant

31 March 1998

Toyota Announces Expansion Of Indiana Plant

    INDIANAPOLIS, March 31 -- Toyota Motor Manufacturing North
America, Inc. (TMMNA) announced today that it will expand its Princeton, Ind.
plant to increase capacity by 50,000 units.  The expansion represents an
additional $500 million investment, bringing the total at Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI) to $1.2 billion.
    The increase will bring TMMI's annual capacity to 150,000 vehicles.  An
additional 1,000 people will be hired, bringing total projected employment to
2,300.
    "As you know, plans are for us to begin building the recently unveiled
Toyota T150 pick-up truck in December," said TMMI president, Seizo Okamoto.
"While the final decision on which additional vehicle we will build has not
yet been announced, all of us at TMMI are pleased that our plant has been
chosen for Toyota's latest North American expansion."
    Toyota officials did say that the new vehicle would be a new Toyota
product built on the same assembly line as the truck.  Additional body
welding, stamping, plastics and paint equipment will be installed to
accommodate production of the new vehicle, and plant size will increase by
more than 400,000 square feet.  The assembly line will also be extended to
allow for production of both vehicles.
    Okamoto said that it is rare for Toyota to expand a facility that has not
yet started production, and added, "This is a tribute to the people of Indiana
who have instilled confidence in our company officials that the workforce here
will build world quality products.  The support and cooperation we have
received from the state and local community were also important factors in
Toyota's decision."
    Toyota officials were joined by Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon and
several Gibson County representatives in the state capitol for the
announcement.
    "This expansion continues the economic revitalization that southwest
Indiana has had over the past 10 years," Gov. O'Bannon said.  "But today is
about more than just new jobs.   This announcement means that more Hoosiers
will have the chance to get training in new technologies, problem solving and
other skills they'll need to keep good jobs in the next century."
    Construction of the expansion is expected to get underway later this
spring, with the addition ready for start-up in late 2000.

SOURCE  Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc.