Putnam County is the beneficiary of Toyota’s meeting customer demand. Last Thursday (November 18), the company announced that it will invest $210 million to upgrade existing engine production and add 100 new jobs to increase assembly capacity of its four-cylinder engine line in Buffalo. Once complete, Toyota’s total investment at the plant will be more than $1.8 billion and total employment will exceed 2,000.
Toyota’s initial investment in establishing the plant was $400 million in 1996, resulting in 300 jobs.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia President Srini Matam stated that the investment represents Toyota’s continued commitment to both customers and community. “We are thrilled to expand our Toyota family and continue our long-standing commitment to provide top-quality engines and transmissions for our customers,” he added.
The $210 million investment will upgrade Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s current six-cylinder engine production line with new equipment and machinery to create the flexibility needed to meet demand for Toyota’s vehicle assembly plants in the U.S. and Canada.
The 100 new jobs will create a third shift due to a significant increase in RAV4 engine production at the Buffalo site, increasing assembly of an additional 5,900 engines per month, or more than 70,000 engines per year.
The upgrade project and hiring is slated for completion in the second half of 2022. Information regarding available positions at TMMWV can be found at www.tourtoyota.com.
“Since Toyota first came to West Virginia more than 25 years ago, they have expanded their operations multiple times in Buffalo and proven to the country that our state has the skilled and dedicated workforce necessary for any company to be successful here. I have seen this dedication and strong work ethic of the Toyota Team Members firsthand during facility visits,” U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito said. “I’m thrilled that the Buffalo engine plant is continuing to play a key role in producing the engines and motors that power U.S. vehicles as Toyota continues to develop and incorporate exciting new technologies into their fleet. West Virginia has a long and productive relationship with Toyota.”
“Toyota’s commitment to increase its investment in West Virginia and into our hard-working West Virginians prove they continue to be a wonderful business partner right here in the Mountain State,” West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said. “This is such exciting news for West Virginia’s business community as well as our families that businesses are choosing to grow their organizations here. Toyota is a wonderful example of how a global company can be successful right here in West Virginia.”
Toyota has created a tremendous value chain in the U.S., with more than $28.4 billion direct investment in the U.S., nine manufacturing facilities, 10 including our joint venture with Mazda, nearly 1,500 independently owned dealerships and approximately 180,000 people working across the U.S.
