Industry News

Toyota Auto Body to build $180M plant in the us.

A subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. will build a $180 million plant to supply auto body parts to its vehicle assembly plant in Blue Springs, Miss. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Toyota Auto Body Co. Ltd. will locate the plant in North Mississippi and it will employ about 260 workers, a release stated.

It is the first supplier to announce plans related to the new Toyota Highlander SUV plant, which is scheduled to be running by 2010. The specific 50-acre site for the plant has not been chosen, the release stated. Toyota Auto Body will make stamped parts, body weld parts and plastic parts for the Blue Springs plant. Toyota announced earlier this year it plans to build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in Blue Springs that will employ 2,000 people. Plant construction is expected to create another 2,000 jobs.

Barbour just recently returned from a five-day trip to Japan, where he and state economic-development leaders went to tout the state for automotive suppliers. "During our recent economic development mission to Japan the Mississippi delegation visited with Toyota Auto Body officials and came away impressed with the company's high standards and interest in doing business in Mississippi," Barbour stated in the release. "I am very pleased this outstanding company will find a new home in North Mississippi as a major supplier to Toyota's newest auto assembly plant,"

TAB, based in Kariya City, Japan, is 56.03 percent owned by Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) and is part of the Toyota Group of Companies. TAB assembles various vehicles for Toyota, including the Prius, Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470.