BLUE SPRINGS, Miss.,
April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- Toyota is rolling out the welcome mat at its Blue Springs manufacturing facility. The
automaker today announced it will build a nearly $10 million visitor and interactive training
center that will offer public tours showcasing how nearly 2,000
Mississippians produce ever-better Corolla vehicles. That
announcement came during a celebration of the 10-year anniversary
of the groundbreaking for Toyota Mississippi.
Sean Suggs, vice president of
manufacturing for Toyota Mississippi, said this is an opportunity
to tell the story of the quality work Mississippi team members put forth daily.
"This investment will allow us to build an interactive visitor and
training center that will spotlight the Corolla's rise to the
best-selling car in the world, as well as delve into the history of
Toyota and our Blue Springs
facility. It represents a continued commitment to our team members
and the Northeast Mississippi
community."
During guided group plant tours, guests will see the Toyota
Production System at work. Construction on the 15,000 square foot
visitor and interactive training center is expected to begin late
2018 with a targeted completion date in mid-2019.
Visitors, however, won't have to wait long to tour the plant.
Toyota Mississippi will begin
offering plant tours on May 1, 2017.
One hour tours are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m.,
and 1:30 p.m., with each tour able to
accommodate 12 people. Reservations are required and may be made by
calling 662-317-3002 or emailing tourms@toyota.com.
Team member Bethanie Humphries
hopes tour-goers will gain an appreciation for the plant and what
it means to the community. A native of northeast Mississippi, she moved away after college and
worked for another automaker. "When I heard Toyota was building a
plant in Blue Springs, I jumped at
the chance [to] work for an
industry leader and move closer to family with my daughter.
Nine years later, I can tell you, we all have a sense of pride when
we tell people, 'I work for Toyota Mississippi.'"
Toyota Mississippi President Akitoshi
Ichino said continued investment in the plant is a testament
to the dedication of team members. "They are proud to produce
high-quality vehicles, safely, every day. It's their hard work that
keeps our plant competitive."
Ground was broken on the 1,700-acre Northeast Mississippi site in April 2007. Later this year, the 1-millionth
Corolla will roll off the line at the 2-million square foot
facility.
"The addition of a visitor and interactive training center
demonstrates Toyota's commitment to growing the region's economy
through new investment while highlighting the plant and its skilled
workforce," Gov. Phil Bryant said.
"Since announcing it would locate this state-of-the-art facility in
Mississippi, Toyota has continued
to place our state and thriving automotive industry on the global
stage. The new visitor and training center will allow people from
around the world to witness first-hand the numerous reasons the
world's best-selling vehicle is made right here in Mississippi."
Over the past 60 years, Toyota has invested nearly $22 billion in its American facilities. In 2017,
the automaker announced a commitment to invest $10 billion in its U.S. manufacturing plants over
the next five years. Based on 2015 data, Toyota's total U.S.
employment impact is 470,100 jobs (direct, indirect and spin-off),
according to a study by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) –
an independent think tank.
Building the community
Toyota also announced donations totaling $350,000 during the anniversary celebration. The
contributions focus on investing in the next generation through
programs for STEM and family literacy.
- A $175,000 gift was given to the
National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) to establish a Toyota
Family Learning program in Tupelo.
It is being implemented at three Family Resource Center of
Northeast Mississippi sites.
Research shows the model elevates the parent and the child through
two-generation literacy, providing parents with workforce and life
skills, and, improving educational outcomes for students throughout
their academic career.
Toyota has partnered with NCFL for
26 years, investing more than $46
million in the organization's two-generation literacy model.
In that time, Toyota Family Literacy programs have touched the
lives of more than 2 million families at nearly 300 sites in 57
communities and in 32 states.
- The Toyota USA Foundation also
donated $175,000 to Mississippi BEST
(Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics at
Mississippi State University. The
program exposes middle and high school students to the
engineering-design process. The students participate in a six-week
robot-building program where they design, build and present their
creation during a business and marketing competition. Toyota
Mississippi has worked with local
schools over the past six years to increase participation in the
program by students and mentors.The donation is the largest ever
made to Mississippi BEST Robotics, highlighting Toyota's commitment
to investing in programs that encourage students to participate in
a STEM fields.
"We must invest in our future workforce and need more skilled
workers to continue making quality vehicles at Toyota Mississippi,"
said Mike Botkin, vice president of
administration at Toyota Mississippi. "Toyota Family Learning
through NCFL and Mississippi BEST Robotics at MSU are working to
build the pipeline of skilled workers of tomorrow."
Earlier this year, Toyota also announced a $750,000 donation to the 2 Museum Project in
Jackson, Miss. The donation, in
conjunction with Mississippi's
200th year of statehood, will provide for a permanent
gallery – the Toyota Gallery – at the Mississippi Civil Rights
Museum, and will help advance programming at the Museum of
Mississippi History.
The donations speak to Toyota's commitment to investing in the
communities where its team members live, work and play, Botkin
said. For Toyota Mississippi, it began at the groundbreaking in
2007 when a $50 million Toyota
Wellspring Education Fund was announced to enhance public education
in Pontotoc, Union and Lee
counties.
Toyota has donated more than $3.2
million to local non-profits to meet the critical needs and
improve the quality of life for the people of Mississippi since 2011. Team members are also
working hard to impact their communities, logging more than 25,000
volunteer hours since Toyota Mississippi launched its "Leave Your
Print" program in 2012.
Toyota Mississippi will
continue to celebrate its 10-year anniversary throughout the year
with a culminating free community concert in November.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM), creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell
vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through our Toyota and
Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we've produced more
than 30 million cars and trucks in North
America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the
U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000
in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly
1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.6 million cars and trucks (2.45
million in the U.S.) in 2016 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota
vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road
today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive
know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to
assist more people move more places. For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Contact:
|
Kathryn Ragsdale,
636-448-8839
|
|
Emily Holland,
662-507-5148
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America