scionlife

Toyota Technical Center (TTC), a division of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America (TEMA) broke ground on a 700-acre site in York Township today for an expansion of Toyota's Research and Vehicle Development operations in North America. Government officials and community leaders joined Toyota executives to celebrate this milestone.

"Toyota is committed to building a world class research and development operation in Michigan and today we break new ground as we move forward with the next phase of Toyota Technical Center's future," said Yasuhiko Ichihashi, president of Toyota Technical Center.

Toyota Technical Center will be constructing an engineering design facility (350,000 square feet and $150 million investment) and a safety test facility (180,000 square feet and $37 million investment) during the first phase of construction. In addition, there will be 400 new jobs added by 2010. Currently, there are 756 team members that work at TTC's R&D operations in Michigan.

"The Toyota Technical Center represents a win for Michigan and our workers, and exemplifies the kind of jobs we want to continue to work to bring to our state," said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. "Our reputation as an automotive powerhouse brought Toyota here, and we will continue to attract R&D and advanced manufacturing jobs based in the auto industry here because of our global leadership in automotive technology."

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and will operate 15 manufacturing plants in North America by 2008. There are more than 1,700 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sell more than 2.5 million vehicles a year. Toyota directly employs over 38,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $16.8 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $28 billion. According to a 2005 Center for Automotive Research study, Toyota, along with its dealers and suppliers, has generated nearly 400,000 U.S. jobs, including jobs created through spending by
direct, dealer and supplier employees.

JUMBO

386,000 jobs according to the last billboard I saw!

cweckel2000

Don't buy japananese cars! Buying those cars takes jobs away from American works!! Oh wait.... American car manufacturors are going to be ____ed about this one, but great job Toyota!

JDMJim

well, Americans CAN work there. there's no difference anymore.

xbboxjdm

Another sign of Jennifer Granholm creating jobs for our depressed state. All SL Michigander's need to support our governor in the upcoming election this November.

NastysXB

yea but are scions built here? or just toyota's?and what about lexus?

emiller

Its a tech center not a plant.

DRW06

Plus TTC is already in Ann Arbor. Just expanding. and I would not build a plant in MI. only lexus built in NA is RX 330/350.. in Canada.

emiller

Id have no problem with anyone building a plant (supplier or OEM) here. Its jobs that our state needs. There are plenty of qualified people that can do it here. The only reason I wouldnt do it is the UAW which would pretty much be required and end up ruining it for everyone else. If it does happen they will continue to be on the west side of the state where there is much less union presence.

R2D2

R&D

cain96

400 new jobs doesn't do crap for out economy... That is hardly a reason to vote for her sorry ___. Devos all the way!!

cain96

Having a Union is optional. The Union is dead for the most part and for good reasons. I work for nissan tech center in Farmington Hills, Mi. for the past nine years and I love it. Our plants have rejected the Unions pressure for years.

emiller

I work at a supplier tech center and for that type of stuff it is more optional. Ours isnt union and neither was the one I worked at before. Some places do have unions in theirs though. Assembly plants in the metro Detroit area would be harder to keep none union. UAW is still somewhat strong here where its much weaker in places like OH (Honda), TN (Nissan) and KY (Toyota). People around here that work on assembly lines tend to expect it because thats how its been for them before and their parents before them. The closer you get to Detroit more more this will be a problem.