Toyota to Shift Highlander Hybrid Production to U.S. From Japan
Source: Wall Street Journal
Toyota Motor Corp. will invest $400 million in its Indiana plant as it shifts production of its Highlander sport-utility vehicle hybrid to the U.S. from Japan.
The move will create 400 jobs at the Princeton factory that will produce 50,000 more Highlander vehicles a year, Toyota North American President Yoshi Inaba said during a keynote speech at the Chicago Auto Show Wednesday. Mr. Inaba said he also expects more jobs to be created at the auto-parts makers that supply the plant.
"We plan to export some of those Highlanders to other countries," Mr. Inaba said. "Our exports of made-in-America products to 21 countries has topped 100,000 vehicles and we've just begun exporting American Camry sedans and Sienna minivans to South Korea."
The decision to move the Highlander SUV hybrid to the U.S. continues a production migration from Japan to the U.S. While the volumes of the hybrid model are small, it is a sign of the auto maker's efforts to battle the strong yen, which makes exporting vehicles to the U.S. less profitable.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204136404577211253219989094.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
1ProudAtheist
(346 posts)It can't be..........more American jobs. Toyota will undoubdtedly be hunting for a "right-to-work" state so that they don't have to pay fair wages and benefits.
amandabeech
(9,893 posts)Indiana is the most conservative of the Great Lakes/Upper Midwest states. We'll see if anyone else goes along.
Lone_Star_Dem
(28,158 posts)demosincebirth
(12,554 posts)Response to Newsjock (Original post)
Occupy_2012 This message was self-deleted by its author.
amandabeech
(9,893 posts)I'm also wondering if the enormous floods in Thailand add to the situation. Really, Bangkok really took a hit. The levy and drain system just didn't hold up. Perhaps Toyota is generally looking for areas without many natural hazards.
A few months ago, when I was in Michigan, I saw a report on ABC Evening News (I was on family business in the sticks and ABC and PBS are the only over the air channels available) stating that Michigan, New York and Vermont were the states least likely to suffer natural disasters. That was before the hurricane floods in the latter two states. Michigan sits on top of the pile, now, I would imagine.
Indiana has problems with twisters. There have been severe mass outbreaks in the central and southern parts of the state.
There are few tornadoes in Michigan, and most of them are quite weak.
Michigan does get snow and ice, but still copes with it decently even with the economy the way it is. There is almost no major flooding, either.
It also has a very good post-secondary system, from many, many good quality community colleges to major research institutions.
Much of the state outside the urban cores is quite beautiful. Michigan's Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore recently won a poll of beautiful vacation spots in USA Today.
Hey, I get to cheerlead for my home state, don't I?
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)yes toyota is`t going to rebuild their damaged plants.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)madrchsod
(58,162 posts)i do not see anything wrong with toyota creating jobs in the usa.
progressoid
(50,020 posts)madrchsod
(58,162 posts)all accords have been made in the usa since 1982. cheaper labor,lower production costs,and no life time guaranteed job. the german`s are saving millions on just the labor cost alone. yes we have become japanese and the german`s mexico.
IamK
(956 posts)those are the states that consistently fight for the Honda & Toyota jobs....