Leaders at Toyota and Mazda recently selected Huntsville, Alabama, as the site of their new joint-venture manufacturing plant. The new plant is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs, with production scheduled to begin by 2021.
The facility will have the capacity to build 300,000 vehicles annually, with production split evenly between two lines for each company. The joint venture represents a $1.6 billion investment that Mazda and Toyota plan to make with equal contributions.
"Our investment to establish a new vehicle assembly plant with Mazda builds on the strong success we have enjoyed in Alabama where we produce engines for the North American market," said Akio Toyoda, Toyota Motor Corp. president. "Starting from 2021, I'm confident that we will run a highly competitive plant by bringing together the expertise of Toyota and Mazda as well as the excellent Alabama workforce. We are committed to being another 'best-in town' company in the city of Huntsville and the state of Alabama, a new hometown for Toyota and Mazda."
The joint-venture plant will be Toyota's 11th U.S. manufacturing facility. In 2017, the company announced a $10 billion investment in the United States over the next five years. For Mazda, the plant represents an enhanced commitment to the U.S. market with an increased focus on manufacturing and sales in the country.
"The partnership between Mazda and Toyota will expand innovative automotive manufacturing in Alabama," said Gov. Kay Ivey. "Their decision to locate this new facility in Huntsville is a testament to the talented workforce in our state. We are proud that this partnership puts Alabama on the forefront of technology in this dynamic global industry."
The state of Alabama is the fifth largest producer of cars and light trucks nationally, with a strong automotive manufacturing presence. Toyota's existing engine plant in Huntsville employs 1,400 team members. With more than 150 Tier 1 and 2 automotive suppliers in the state as well as automakers, there are approximately 57,000 automotive manufacturing jobs in Alabama.
For more information, visit www.toyota.com.
