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Toyota’s big news
• Blue Springs plant will build Corollas By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Photo by Sue Watson
A happy day
All smiles Thursday at Toyota Mississippi’s announcement are (from left) Bill Renick, Justin Hall, Greg Taylor and Bill Mobley. |
Local
and state leaders celebrated Thursday with their newest business
partner, Toyota Mississippi, whose announcement from its Blue Springs
assembly plant caught many by surprise. Toyota
will build the world’s best-selling car - the Corolla - at Blue Springs
and expects to be ready by fall of 2011. The site is located on Highway
78 (future Interstate 22), just 31 miles east of the Marshall County
line. The announcement brought smiles to Marshall
County officials, particularly Bill Mobley, executive director of the
Industrial Development Authority. He told supervisors Monday that
Toyota’s timing of its announcement fits well with the Marshall/Benton
WIN Job Center opening next month, which will take applications for
employment with Toyota and its tier suppliers. “I
feel this is going to be a wonderful opportunity for people of Marshall
County to be employed with Toyota or one of its tier suppliers,” said
Mobley, adding that IDA has been showing some sites to tier suppliers
in recent months. By now the Toyota plant was
scheduled to be ready to assemble the Toyota Highlander SUV, but a
global economic disaster slowed down the clock on Toyota’s schedule and
changed its plans. Toyota subsequently announced in July 2008 it would
manufacture its hybrid Prius but later that year the company said it
was delaying opening indefinitely. But when the time came to make a
decision on what the company believes is a sure thing, Toyota chose the
world’s best-selling car and a very durable, safe and award-winning
vehicle to go into its Blue Springs assembly plant.  | Photos by Sue Watson
Keeping its promise
David Copenhaver with Toyota Mississippi emcees the event. To his left (seated) is Gov. Haley Barbour. |
An
elated Gov. Haley Barbour said he got an early morning call Thursday
from Akio Toyoda of Japan, saying the plant would open next year when
it expects to hire up to 2,000 employees and operate two shifts. “He
said, ‘I want you to know Toyota Mississippi will manufacture the
Toyota Corolla - the best-selling automobile in the world,’ ” Barbour
said. He said the public should hear an announcement on hiring in a few weeks. As
Toyota Mississippi gets ready to start production next fall, its
suppliers will get ready for production also. That means jobs, jobs,
jobs for Mississippians. “They (suppliers) will
employ as many as the main plant will,” Barbour said. “It is an
enormous thing for Blue Springs and the PUL (Pontotoc, Union, Lee)
Alliance and for communities all across Mississippi.” Borrowing from Toyota’s team approach, Barbour said job creation and economic development is a team sport. “We’ve
got a team just as good as we had in 2007 when Toyota announced the
most sought-after project that year (would be coming to Mississippi),”
the governor said. “We were disappointed when we were told Toyota would
delay opening the plant, but it was a good business decision and we
understand. We expect Toyota to be here 50 to 75 years. They said we
would have a delay but ‘we will keep our word to you.’ They have stayed
on schedule on keeping their promises for financial support of our
communities.” Barbour said Toyota is the premier
automobile manufacturer in the world from the standpoint of its
production system and that other manufacturers have adopted Toyota’s
system. While most automobile manufacturers have
experienced worker cutbacks of up to 36 percent since 2006, Barbour
said Toyota has not had to trim back employees. “It’s a great day for everybody in Mississippi,” he said. “Be proud!” U.S.
Congressman Travis Childers said, “This is absolutely a red-letter day
for Mississippi and the three counties that make up the PUL Alliance.
You mentioned earlier, Governor, this is a partnership. We are proud to
be your partners with three-quarters of a million people in this
district.”  | Talking Toyota
From left are Rep. Steve Holland, Rep. Bill Stone (background) and Rep. Jack Gadd and his daughter Jeanie Anne. |
Working hard is one thing people in
Mississippi do well, he said, and told Toyota, “These people are going
to work hard for you. You said, Governor Barbour, ‘Mississippi is open
for business.’ Make no mistake. Mississippi is open for business.” Yoshimi
Inaba, president and chief operating officer for Toyota Motors North
America, explained some of the struggles and delays Toyota has been
through these nearly four years since it originally announced it would
come to Mississippi. “Thank you, Governor
Barbour, for your remarks, your understanding and your patience,” he
said. “Governor Barbour stood behind us. I thank all of you for
understanding our challenge. No one could anticipate the downturn in
the economy. Before doing this, we had to make sure all our existing
facilities were stable. “It’s time to make good
on Toyota’s promise to Mississippi. It is indeed a great day for
Mississippi and Toyota. By starting the production with Corolla, we are
able to get Toyota Mississippi off to a much faster start. Mississippi
team members will be producing the most popular car in the industry.
Corolla is one of the best-selling cars of all times.” The
Corolla is sold in over 100 countries and one Corolla is sold every 40
seconds, Inaba said. Over 8.5 million Corollas have been sold in the
United States and sales were up 18 percent last year. Most Corollas
built since 1989 are still on the road, he said. “It
really is an amazing vehicle - unmatched for value,” Inaba said. “Who
better than the people of Mississippi who share similar qualities of
strength, stability and reliability ( to build the Corolla). Toyota
Mississippi will enjoy a bright and stable future.” Looking
out over the more than 900 guests and dignitaries attending the press
conference, Steve St. Angelo, executive vice-president for Toyota
Engineering and Manufacturing North America and chief quality officer
as well as president of the Kentucky and Mississippi plants, said it
felt like graduation day. “It’s a day of
completion, a day of pride,” he said. “Graduation day ends a chapter in
your book. What will happen tomorrow? Toyota will be hiring new team
members who will shop at your stores, eat at your restaurants, purchase
new houses, pay much needed taxes.” St. Angelo said Toyota builds a new vehicle as it is needed and builds quality into the process the “Toyota way.” Those qualities include accepting a challenge, respect for people, always improving the product and teamwork. “Thank
you, the good people of Mississippi, for your patience, our suppliers
for their flexibility, and the good governor and elected officials,”
St. Angelo said. “You have a great lineup. Finally, I thank our
customers for their continued loyalty to our product. On behalf of the
Toyota family, worldwide, we will not let you down. God bless
Mississippi and may the best car win!” |
