Toyota Hits Milestone: Production of 1 Million Vehicles in North America
27 December 1999
Toyota Hits Milestone: Production of 1 Million Vehicles in North America ERLANGER, Ky., Dec. 27 -- For the first time ever, Toyota has
produced more than 1 million cars and trucks in a calendar year at its North
American automobile manufacturing plants. Toyota, the fourth largest
automaker in North America, has three vehicle assembly plants in the United
States and one in Canada.
"We are proud of our continued growth in North America, and, as we
announced a week ago, we don't plan on slowing down," said Teruyuki Minoura,
Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TMMNA) president and chief
executive officer. Minoura was referring to last week's announcement of plans
to increase North American capacity to 1.45 million cars and trucks annually
over the next four to five years.
This year's total production was more than 1,061,000 vehicles, a
10.3 percent increase over 1998. Last year, Toyota produced 962,829 vehicles
at its North American plants.
"What helped push us over the 1 million mark was the increase in
production of the Solara at our Canadian plant, plus the addition of the
Tundra truck in Indiana," said Jim Wiseman, vice president for external
affairs at TMMNA. "This is quite an accomplishment when you consider that
Toyota has only been making vehicles in North America since 1986. It's a
tribute to our team members -- everyday, they try to be the best in the
business."
The Year in Review
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) produced 477,378*
vehicles -- 285,582 Camry sedans, 71,121 Avalons, and 120,675 Sienna minivans
-- at its Georgetown, Ky., facility, which employs about 7,900 team members.
The plant also makes four-cylinder and V-6 engines.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI) in Princeton, Ind., began
production of Toyota's first entry into the full-size truck market, the
Tundra, in December 1998. The plant produced 56,176* Tundras in 1999. Toyota
expanded the Tundra assembly line this year to accommodate production of the
Sequoia, Toyota's new full-size sport utility vehicle planned for next fall.
An additional investment of $800 million at TMMI announced last week will
raise TMMI's annual capacity by 150,000 units and add 2,000 jobs. Once the
TMMI expansion is complete, Toyota's investment at TMMI will total $2 billion,
capacity will be 300,000 units, and employment will reach 4,300.
After a year of dramatic growth in 1998 due to increased production and
the addition of the Camry Solara to the product line-up, Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Canada, Inc. (TMMC) in Cambridge, Ontario, maintained solid
production levels in 1999 with 211,081* units produced. TMMC, which employs
2,300 team members, manufactured 63,363 Camry Solaras and 147,718 Corollas.
It also manufactures four-cylinder engines for Toyota vehicles.
Rounding out Toyota's North American production milestone were vehicles
produced at New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), a joint venture
between Toyota and General Motors in Fremont, Calif. NUMMI, which employs
5,000 team members, produced 317,172* Toyota vehicles, including
160,785 Corollas and 156,387 Tacoma trucks. NUMMI also manufactures the
Chevrolet Prizm (not counted in Toyota's production figures).
In addition to automobile production in North America, Toyota has plants
that produce parts and components for Toyota vehicles: Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV) in Buffalo, W. Va., four-cylinder
and V6 engines; Bodine Aluminum, Inc., in St. Louis and Troy, Mo., cast
aluminum parts such as cylinder heads, intake manifolds and engine blocks;
TABC, Inc., in Long Beach, Calif., truck beds, catalytic converters, coated
substrates and steering columns; and Canadian Autoparts Toyota, Inc. (CAPTIN)
in Delta, British Columbia, aluminum wheels.
Toyota employs more than 30,000 people in North America, including about
20,000 at its manufacturing plants in California, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri,
West Virginia, and Ontario and British Columbia in Canada. Once the Indiana-
built Sequoia debuts in the fall, Toyota will produce eight vehicles in North
America: Avalon, Camry, Camry Solara, Corolla, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and
Tundra.
*Based on preliminary vehicle production totals as of December 27, 1999.
Exact production numbers may vary by a few vehicles at each plant.
