Toyota boosting V6 production in Alabama, adding 125 jobs

From AB



Toyota to Increase V6 Engine Production in Alabama
$80M investment to create 125 jobs

Total North American job announcements hit 1,100 this year

ERLANGER, Ky. (May 17, 2012) -- Toyota announced today it will expand
its Huntsville, Ala. engine facility to increase North American
production of V6 engines. The approximately $80 million investment
will bring total plant investment to more than $700 million.
Approximately 125 new jobs will be created, increasing employment
nearly 10 percent to 1,150.

The expansion will allow Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc.
(TMMAL) to build an additional 216,000 engines each year, boosting
total V6 annual capacity to 362,000. A new 300,000 sq. ft. building
will be constructed. The increased production will begin in March
2014.

TMMAL currently assembles 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines for eight of
12 Toyota North American built vehicles. TMMAL is the only Toyota
plant globally to produce these three types of engines in one
facility.

This investment will increase engine production at the Huntsville
plant to more than 700,000 annually, and will increase total Toyota
engine production in the U.S. to more than 1.4 million per year.
Toyota also builds engines in Kentucky and West Virginia.

"We are proud to announce our fourth expansion, only a few months
after celebrating 10 years of success in Huntsville and Madison
County," said Jim Bolte, President of TMMAL. "Today wouldn't
be possible without continued commitment from our outstanding team
members and support from our community partners."

"Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama has been a dedicated
corporate citizen in Alabama for more than ten years, and today's
announcement is an exciting new chapter for this company and this
community. Toyota's success in Alabama is a testament to the
hard-working men and women of the production and leadership teams who
have dedicated themselves to producing quality products," said
Governor Robert Bentley. "This expansion is also a testament to
the business climate we've worked hard to create in Alabama – a
climate in which companies are encouraged to expand, innovate, and
create new jobs. We thank Toyota for the company's continued
confidence in Alabama and Huntsville, and we look forward to a
continued long-term relationship."

Today's announcement is the latest in a string of Toyota production
increase announcements since February including Toyota plants in
Indiana, West Virginia, Canada and Kentucky. Cumulative investment
total is approximately $645 million and more than 1,100 jobs are being
added.

"This V6 line addition continues to reflect our growing optimism
for an improving North American market, and we continue to study more
localization in North America," said Steve St. Angelo, Executive
Vice President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North
America, Inc