Toyota opens second facility in Michigan, adds 400 jobs

Michigan has been begging for good news from the auto industry lately, and the Great Lakes state got some from a company that was once considered public enemy number one. Toyota has officially opened a brand new $187 million technical center in York Township that will provide 400 more jobs to the beleaguered state while giving the Japanese automaker additional manpower to develop more new vehicles for North America. The York Township facility will compliment the 700-person Toyota research and development center in Ann Arbor that has been operational since 1997. The Ann Arbor facility has performed R&D duties for various vehicle including the Avalon, Tundra, Sienna and upcoming Venza. The added jobs at the new facility only represents a small portion of the thousands of jobs Michigan residents have lost over the past decade, but having an automotive force like Toyota investing in your state is a very good start, indeed.[Source: Toyota]PRESS RELEASEToyota Opens Second Facility In Michigan$187 million York Township site expands Toyota's engineering, safety testing capabilityOctober 9, 2008 - York Township, MI - Toyota Technical Center (TTC) celebrated the grand opening of its new engineering and safety testing facilities here today with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Congressman John Dingell, as well as several hundred government officials, community leaders, suppliers and Toyota team members.TTC, a division of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA), already has a site in Ann Arbor. With the expansion in York Township, TTC is adding 400 new jobs and will boost its employment to 1,100 by 2010. "Toyota's investment of $187 million to advance research and development demonstrates our commitment to the North American automotive industry," said Shigeki Terashi, TTC president. "TTC has been conducting R&D activity in Michigan for over 30 years and recognizes Southeast Michigan as the center for automotive R&D in North America.""Continued commitment and investments by Toyota are important as we maintain our efforts to diversify our economy and create jobs here in Michigan," Governor Granholm said. "The Toyota Technical Center is a huge win for Michigan and our workers – our reputation as the automotive capital of the world brought Toyota here, and we will continue to attract R&D and advanced manufacturing jobs because of our global leadership in automotive research and development."Toyota (NYSE:TM) established Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in 1977 in Ann Arbor, Mich. TTC is engaged in engineering design, prototype building, vehicle evaluation and engineering, materials engineering, powertrain tuning and design, regulatory affairs and advanced technical research. TTC has developed the Avalon, Sienna, Solara, Tundra and Venza vehicles for the North American market. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com.