Toyota Motor Corporation is expanding its American footprint with a $912 million investment to boost production across five of its American plants, creating over 250 jobs.
The auto giant announced nearly one trillion dollars’ worth of investments, saying the move to expand in America reflects its longtime philosophy of building “where we sell,” as demand for its cars continues to rise across the U.S.
“Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our U.S. manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand,” Kevin Voelkel, Senior V.P. of Manufacturing Operations, said in a recent press release. “Toyota’s philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our U.S. footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy.”
The funding will help expand facilities in West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Missouri – injecting new money into communities where auto manufacturing remains a backbone of their local economies.
Toyota’s Buffalo, West Virginia, plant will receive the largest investment at $453 million to upgrade its manufacturing lines for hybrid engines and other components. The project will reportedly create 80 new jobs in West Virginia by 2027 and raise the site’s investment total to around $3.3 billion.
“We’re proud of our plant’s continued growth and honored to help lead Toyota’s transition into a mobility company,” said Alivia Luikart, a Toyota team member working in West Virginia. “Our future is bright, and it’s rewarding to know that our company has faith in our ability and trusts our team to drive Toyota forward.”
In Georgetown, Kentucky – Toyota’s largest vehicle assembly plant worldwide – over $204 million will go towards a new machining line that adds 82 jobs and increases hybrid engine production to 700,000 units annually. With nearly 10,000 employees and more than $11 billion invested since 1988, the facility remains a dominant force in Kentucky’s economy.
Mississippi’s Blue Springs plant will receive $125 million to launch the first American-built hybrid Corollas, boosting a workforce of 2,400 employees.
In Jackson, Tennessee, Toyota is investing $71.4 million in three new manufacturing lines for hybrid components, adding 33 jobs and roughly 500,000 units of annual production starting in 2027. Missouri’s Troy plant rounds out the package with over $57 million for a new cylinder head line, creating 57 jobs and boosting output by more than 200,000 heads per year.
“As their operations grow, we’re proud that more Tennesseans will have the opportunity to build a career with one of the world’s leading manufacturers,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
The investments are just a small window into Toyota’s bigger play in America. The company has previously announced a $10 billion commitment to American operations through 2030.
Toyota’s new connection, and surprising affection, with the United States was on display over the weekend at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, where Chairman Akio Toyoda attended a NASCAR event.
Wearing a red “Trump-Vance 2024” t-shirt and the iconic “Make America Great Again” hat, Toyota’s outspoken Chairman led six NASCAR stock cars around the track in a Ford F-150 with U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass riding along, per AutoNews.
With 48,000 American employees and 76% of its American-sold vehicles assembled in the states, Toyota seems to have the pedal to the floor in expanding its U.S. operations.