Toyota to Build Lexus ES 350 at Its Georgetown, Kentucky Plant
SEE ALSO: Expectant Toyota Kentucky Team Members See New Arrival
Toyota investing $360 million and creating 750 new jobs to produce 50,000 vehicles annually starting in 2015. Latest in series of investments totaling $2 billion over last 17 months to expand North American production and create more than 4,000 new jobs
Erlanger, KY, April 19, 2013 –
For the first time, a Lexus vehicle will be produced in the United
States. The Lexus ES 350 will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing,
Kentucky (TMMK) in 2015, Toyota announced today.
The move will generate 750 new jobs. To support the new dedicated assembly
line, Toyota will invest $360 million in the Georgetown plant.
About 50,000 Lexus vehicles a year will be produced, bringing the
plant’s total annual production capacity to more than 550,000
vehicles. It will be the first time the ES will be assembled outside of
Japan.
“Lexus was founded in the United States, so it is only fitting that
we are bringing the production of luxury sedans for our U.S. customers back
to where the brand was born,” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota
Motor Corporation. “Today’s announcement is a major step in our
Global Vision to make ever better cars and trucks, give regions greater
autonomy to make the products their customers want and achieve sustainable
growth globally.”
“Since its arrival here in 1986, the impact Toyota has had on
Kentucky has been immeasurable, and the addition of Lexus production only
adds to that enduring legacy,” said Governor Steven Beshear of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky. “The establishment of production for the
Lexus ES 350 will afford Kentucky a tremendous opportunity to expand and
strengthen its vast supplier base, creating even more growth potential in
the future. Kentucky is proud of the confidence Toyota continues to
demonstrate in our vibrant and skilled workforce as they prepare to make a
vehicle model that, like them, has earned a reputation for high
quality.”
Production of the ES 350 at the Georgetown plant is the latest step in
Toyota’s continuing strategy to assemble vehicles in the markets
where its customers live. Over the past 17 months, the company has
announced plans to increase production capacity at its plants in
Mississippi, Indiana, West Virginia and Canada, reflecting a cumulative
investment of approximately $2 billion that has created more than 4,000 new
jobs. Toyota also recently announced executive changes designed to provide
regional managers with more local control and a streamlined decision-making
structure to help the company deliver superior customer-focused products
and services.
“Today’s Lexus ES announcement further strengthens
Toyota’s commitment to serving American consumers, growing American
production and investing in American team members,” said Jim Lentz,
Toyota’s chief executive officer for North America.
“We’re extraordinarily proud to have helped create over 365,000
jobs across the country and to produce so many of the industry’s
highest quality vehicles right here in the United States. Today,
Toyota’s 14 North American plants already produce seven out of every
10 vehicles that we sell in America, and North American-assembled vehicles
are now exported to 23 countries around the world.”
Established in January 1986, TMMK is Toyota’s largest manufacturing
facility outside of Japan, employing approximately 6,600 people. The plant
currently assembles the Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid
and Venza and manufactures 4-cylinder and V6 engines. It has earned 10
Initial Quality Plant Awards from J.D. Power and Associates, including four
gold J.D. Power Awards.
In 2012, the plant produced the 25 millionth Toyota vehicle built in North
America. Toyota recently committed to boosting production capacity for the
4-cylinder engine at the plant by more than 100,000 units. This $30 million
project will create about 80 new jobs.
“The decision to move ES 350 production to Kentucky is a true tribute
to the hard work and commitment to excellence of every single Toyota team
member at this plant,” said TMMK President Wil James. “We
deeply appreciate the tremendous support we have received from our
community, from our local suppliers and business partners, and from
Governor Beshear and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We look forward to
strengthening further the productive partnership we have built together
over the last 25 years.”
The ES is Lexus’s bestselling sedan, with approximately 58,850
vehicles sold in North America in 2012 -- including 56,158 in the U.S.
Projections for Toyota’s production volume at the company’s
Kyushu plant in Japan have not changed. The company remains committed to
building 3 million vehicles per year in Japan, including Lexus models, as
previously announced.
Toyoda and Lentz made the Lexus ES 350 production announcement at a press
conference prior to a major New York City event showcasing Lexus’s
commitment to groundbreaking design and its redoubled focus on creating a
global luxury brand experience.