$400 million investment planned; milestone
marked with donation of vehicles to two organizations
When Tim Bennett completed his 8-year service in the U.S. Army,
there was only one place he wanted to raise his family: back home
in West Virginia.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160921005497/en/
Henry "Sonny" Smith, a Toyota West
Virginia team member for 17 years, inspects the cam housing on a
four-cylinder engine. (Photo: Business Wire)
At the time, Bennett was training in Louisiana, a thousand miles
from the Mountain State where he grew up. The distance, however,
couldn’t keep news of a new opportunity near his hometown from
making its way to the bayou. It was 1997 and Toyota was hiring for
its newest American manufacturing plant, a $400 million facility
with capacity to produce 300,000 four-cylinder engines
annually.
So, Bennett made the trip to West Virginia to apply for the job,
but when he got there, he found himself in line with a few hundred
other job seekers; in fact, 19,000 people applied for the 300
initial jobs.
Bennett made the cut and began working on the first engine line
in 1998. “Toyota gave me the opportunity to move back to the place
where I wanted to live and raise my family,” Bennett said. “I’ve
been able to provide my kids the life I always dreamed of them
having.”
Now 18 years into his career as a Quality Control team member,
Bennett is one of about 1,600 Toyota West Virginia team members
celebrating the plant’s two decades in Buffalo.
Marking a milestone
During a ceremony at the plant today, team members, community
members and dignitaries joined Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, former U.S.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to mark the 20th
anniversary milestone with the announcement of a $400 million
investment in the facility, as well as vehicle donations to two
local non-profit organizations.
“Toyota has confidence in the high quality work of our West
Virginia team members,” said Toyoda, honorary chairman, Toyota
Motor Corp. (TMC). Dr. Toyoda, who led the decision to build the
plant in West Virginia, added: “Twenty years ago we fell in love
with not only the beautiful countryside of West Virginia, but the
people. We are very proud of the incredible accomplishments this
plant and the team members have made. The future is bright.”
Since inception, TMMWV has had eight expansions to its engine
and transmission lines. The $400 million investment over the next
four years will further modernize its operations to provide
products of the future to customers. Among the projects is a
conversion of the current generation six-speed transmission lines
to next generation eight-speed transmission lines.
Change has been a constant at the plant since the groundbreaking
in 1996, which Gov. Tomblin said is welcomed. “The success of
Toyota’s Buffalo plant showcases how skilled and dedicated West
Virginia’s workforce is,” he said. “The men and women who
manufacture the parts and make the plant run have welcomed and
risen to every new challenge, making multiple innovations and
expansions possible over the past two decades. Toyota and West
Virginia represent a valued partnership – the kind that results in
the top-notch jobs, economic advancements and lasting community
enrichment that will move the Mountain State forward.”
High quality, high speed
The only Toyota plant in North America that makes both engines
and transmissions, TMMWV produces more than 650,000 engines and
740,000 transmissions annually. The $1.4 billion facility currently
makes four- and six-cylinder engines for the Toyota Corolla,
Sienna, Highlander and Lexus RX 350, as well as transmissions for
the Toyota Camry, Avalon, Sienna, Highlander and RAV4 and Lexus RX
350 models built in North America. And, they work fast. A new
transmission rolls off the assembly line about every 25 seconds,
with four-cylinder engines rolling off every 30 seconds. Those
speeds represent the fastest production times for Toyota,
globally.
“Our team members make the difference in our plant staying
competitive,” said Millie Marshall, TMMWV president. “Every day
they take pride in building a high quality product, safely.”
And, TMMWV’s impact is on more than just its team members. A
recent study by the Center for Automotive Research indicates that
for every one Toyota job in West Virginia, there are nearly two
other jobs created across the state.
Walking the walk
For many workers, the stability and quality of their jobs is
just the tip of the iceberg. They saw the reality of Toyota’s
promise to them back in 2008 and 2009 when no team member was laid
off despite the plant being shut down for three months during the
Great Recession. During that time, team members trained, did
community service or volunteered for other organizations and still
received their paychecks from Toyota.
“They really showed me what job security meant. People can plan.
They can plan to send their kids to school. They don’t have to
worry about losing their jobs,” said Larry “Odie” O’Dell, a
facilities group leader. “When I got the job, I felt like I hit the
lottery. Now, almost 20 years later, I can say I did hit the
lottery. This is my home now.”
That’s the spirit and sense of pride you’ll find with many team
members, Marshall said, noting they are especially proud of the
philanthropic impact TMMWV has made on the state. The plant has
invested more than $8 million dollars in various philanthropic and
educational initiatives the past two decades. Team members have
also contributed tens of thousands of volunteer hours including
continued relief efforts for those devastated by deadly floods
three months ago. Toyota team members are still traveling – during
their work day — to the hardest hit areas to help community members
rebuild.
In recognition of team members’ continued hard work, anniversary
lunches will be held this week and a family picnic is planned for
Saturday.
Giving back
To thank the community for its two decades of support, TMMWV
donated vehicles to two area non-profit organizations: Hope
Community Development Corporation, which empowers low-income
individuals and families through education, employment and
training, economic development, housing and support services
coordination; and, Golden Girl Group Home, which helps girls in
harmful or dangerous situations by giving them housing and
providing a structured, caring environment. Each organization will
use the vehicles to further their missions.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the
Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past
50 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 (1,500 in the
U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5
million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota
vehicles sold over the past 20 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.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV) is
located in Buffalo and employs approximately 1,600 team members.
Toyota has invested more than $1.4 billion into the 1.9 million
square foot plant that annually produces 650,000 engines and
740,000 transmissions for the Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Lexus RX 350,
Sienna, Highlander, and RAV4.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160921005497/en/
ToyotaRick Hesterberg, 859-351-4780
Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024