Bodine Aluminum will invest $11 million at its plant in Troy, MO, and $1 million in Jackson, TN, to increase production of aluminum transmission cases and housing parts, as part of Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s overall $102-million program to increase its output of six-speed automatic transmissions. Most of the investment will be directed at Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, where the automaker builds four- and six-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions.
It’s the third time since 2011 that Toyota’s expansion plans at the Buffalo, WV, plant have prompted capacity increases at the Bodine operations. Toyota noted it has initiated investments totaling more than $2.1 billion over the past 21 months.
Further details of the new investment at Bodine were not announced. Toyota has said it intends to increase TMMWV’s output of transmissions from 500,000 to 740,000 units per year, for various models, by 2015.
Bodine is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Manufacturing that casts aluminum engine brackets, carrier covers, cylinder heads and blocks, and automatic transmission parts at three sites, St. Louis and Troy, MO, and Jackson, TN. Its products are supplied to Toyota engine and transmission plants in Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia.
“This expansion at Bodine Aluminum’s facility in Troy marks another important milestone for Bodine and Toyota, for this community, and for Missouri’s resurgent automotive manufacturing industry,” stated Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
“With balanced budgets, skilled workers and well-developed infrastructure, Missouri is a great place to do business,” explained Bodine president Bob Lloyd. “We appreciate the support from the state and city that helped make this expansion possible, and look forward to many more prosperous years to come in Troy.”