Toyota Motor Corp. has raised the total for its five-year capital-investment program for U.S. manufacturing and assembly plants to nearly $3 billion, and announced new projects valued at $749 million in five locations. The new projects also entail 586 new jobs at those sites, the automaker noted.
The announcement follows the initial, $10-billion capital program outlined in October 2017.
Included in the newly announced projects are plans to expand and update Toyota’s two wholly owned metalcasting plants, Bodine Aluminum Troy (MO) and Bodine Aluminum Jackson (TN).
The new, $62-million investment at Bodine Aluminum Troy will cover equipment to produce an additional 864,000 cylinder heads for Toyota's New Global Architecture (TNGA). Bodine's 900 Missouri team members currently produce more than 3 million cylinder heads a year, which are made for every Toyota and Lexus manufactured in North America. Overall, the plant represents an investment of $455 million.
The $50-million investment at Bodine Aluminum Jackson will include a building expansion and equipment to double casting output for hybrid transaxle cases and housings, to 240,000 units annually. The investment also will increases cast engine block output by 288,000 units annually. Currently the plant produces 1.7 million engine blocks and 580,0000 transmission cases and housings.
The newly announced projects also includes $288 million for the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama engine plant, to increase annual capacity from 670,000 to 900,000 units by the end of 2021. New 4-cylinder and V6 engine lines will add 450 new jobs at the Huntsville, AL, plant.
At Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, a $111 million project will include a building expansion and new equipment to double capacity of hybrid transaxles to 240,000 units annually in 2021. To meet the production demands, TMMWV will add 123 new jobs to its facility in Buffalo, West Virginia. Overall, the plant represents a $1.4 billion investment.
The Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky plant, in Georgetown, will be the location for $238-million program to expand production of the Lexus ES 300h hybrid from 12,000 units/year (launching May 2019) and to start RAV4 Hybrid production in January 2020 with an annual capacity of 100,000 units.
"These latest investments represent even more examples of our long-term commitment to build where we sell," stated Jim Lentz, CEO for Toyota Motor North America. "By boosting our U.S. manufacturing footprint, we can better serve our customers and dealers and position our manufacturing plants for future success with more domestic capacity."