Toyota Begins Corolla Production in Mississippi

BLUE SPRINGS, Miss., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota team members today celebrated the opening of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi (TMMMS), the company's new $800 million plant outside of Tupelo that assembles the Corolla, the world's best-selling car of all time. Joining the celebration were Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.

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TMMMS is Toyota's fourteenth North American plant, further advancing the company's efforts to design, develop and build vehicles where they are sold. The plant has the annual capacity to produce 150,000 vehicles and will employ nearly 2,000.

Speaking at the ceremony, Toyoda said, "Building vehicles where we sell them helps us be even closer to our customers. The U.S. market remains a key to Toyota's overall success, and Toyota Mississippi will play an important role for us here."

"Today is a great day for Blue Springs and the entire State of Mississippi," Governor Haley Barbour said. "Toyota chose Mississippi for its dedicated, talented workforce, and I know they will enjoy great success at their newest facility. We are proud to be the home of Toyota, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship with our newest corporate partner."

"Mississippi has provided us with a great workforce who welcomes challenges and are eager to learn," said Masafumi Hamaguchi, president of TMMMS. "Our slogan is: 'Always look for the best way, using our pioneer spirit.' The Mississippi workforce has shown that they have this spirit."

Toyota's Buffalo, W. Va., engine plant is supplying all engines for Corolla production at TMMMS. Cylinder heads and blocks for those engines are produced at both of Toyota's Bodine Aluminum castings plants, located in Troy, Mo., and Jackson, Tenn.

When Toyota announced the Blue Springs project, they also announced a partnership with the CREATE Foundation and a donation of $50 million - $5 million a year for 10 years - was also announced toward an innovative addition to the public school system in the Pontotoc, Union, and Lee counties. The Center for Professional Futures will be an education facility that will expose students in the eight school districts in the PUL Alliance counties in to professional careers through high performance teaching and a modern learning environment.

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 14 manufacturing plants. There are more than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sold more than 2 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota directly employs more than 35,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $23 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals nearly $25 billion. 

Toyota currently produces 12 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sienna, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Venza and the Lexus RX 350.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

SOURCE Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.