Toyota said on Tuesday it would add 400 jobs at its Princeton, Indiana, vehicle assembly plant as part of a US$600m spend to meet “strong and growing demand” for the Highlander midsize SUV and modernise the entire factory.
Funding will be used for retooling, new equipment and technology to make the plant more competitive. The project is scheduled to begin in autumn 2019 and will add capacity for 40,000 extra vehicles annually.
“This expansion project is part of Toyota’s localisation strategy to build vehicles where they are sold,” the automaker – recently criticised by President Trump for its new NAFTA Corolla plant under construction in Mexico – said in a statement.
Toyota reiterated CEO Jim Lentz’s recent Detroit show announcement Toyota Motor North America would “invest an additional $10bn in the US over the next five years. This investment will be used to make the existing plants even more competitive”.
Toyota responded earlier to Trump’s pre-inauguration criticism by emphasising its contribution to the US economy. “With more than $21.9bn direct investment in the US, 10 manufacturing facilities, 1,500 dealerships and 136,000 employees, Toyota looks forward to collaborating with the Trump administration to serve in the best interests of consumers and the automotive industry,” the company said previously.
Toyota said its Tuesday announcement showed its commitment to continued US investment. The 20 year old Princeton plant produced a record 400,000-plus vehicles last year.