This expansion project is part of Toyota’s localization strategy to build vehicles where they are sold. During the 2017 North American International Auto Show, Jim Lentz, chief executive officer, Toyota Motor North America, announced that the company would, “invest an additional $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years. This investment will be used to make the existing plants even more competitive.”
This announcement shows Toyota’s commitment to continued U.S. investment. The Princeton, Indiana plant produced over 400,000 vehicles last year, the highest in its 20-year history. “The Highlander has been a great vehicle for our plant and we are excited to deliver even more of them to our loyal customers,” said Millie Marshall, president of Toyota Indiana. “This is a true testament to our team members and their dedication to producing quality vehicles.”
The third-generation Highlander made its debut at the Indiana plant in 2013 and has continually exceeded customer expectations. The Highlander received the 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognizing good crash protection across the board.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we’ve produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to assist more people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.