Toyota to build plant in Mississippi
As Toyota continues its quest for world domination, they've chosen a location in northeastern Mississippi to build a new $800 million plant. The location, known as the Wellspring Project Megasite, is situated well for heavy manufacturing and was surely shopped hard to big industry like automotive manufacturing. The plant is likely to build SUVs, and we'll know for sure when all the politicians, local officials and Toyota representatives formally announce the plant today. Tupelo High School will be left reeling from the hullabaloo that will ensue, we're sure.
At a time of uncertainty and job cuts, It bodes well that Toyota is adding more jobs for US workers. Target production is 150,000 vehicles yearly when the plant is up and running in 2009. Say what you will about Toyota "invading" the US and dethroning our auto industry, we're happy to see US workers getting offered some relief. So many other industries have moved to other countries, taking good blue-collar opportunities with them. Mississippi also just recently attracted Nissan to build a plant in Canton, MS, so at least it looks like some of those laid off GM, Ford, and DCX workers will have someplace to go. We hear there's less snow than in Detroit, too.
Thanks for the tip, Guy!
[Source:djournal.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Will S. 7:31AM (2/27/2007)
Toyota is building an SUV plant? With gas prices as they are?
That can't be! We all know Toyota is the greenest of the auto manufacturers, surely you mean this plant is going to make the Prius all day and every day.
Seriously, the people who have been knocking the domestics for making SUVs need to realize that Japan is just as guilty, and that Toyota follows the buck just like the big 2.5
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All World Automotive 10:58AM (2/27/2007)
What are we doing letting them in here in the first place? They don't let us in with out huge costs in the form of Tariffs. We let them in with no questions asked. This has got to stop!
http://www.allworldautomotive.com/auto_parts/gallery.php
http://www.allworldautomotive.com/auto_parts/
http://www.allworldautomotive.com/links/automotive_blogs_2033.html
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J 7:47AM (2/27/2007)
They have played the media to try make americans think they are american, they aren't, and to make people think there vehicles are superior, they aren't. Odd they always pick "poor" areas to build in, I wonder if its all the tax breaks they get or they just prey on the hopeless feelings of the residents of the poor areas. I hope it burns to the ground after they build it.
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GM WHO? 7:52AM (2/27/2007)
AHH SHADDDUP! Maybe if all the dumbasses who buy big dinosaur devouring trucks and SUV's would stop creating a demand for such over-the-top, look at me-I'm special, get outta my way I'm coming through vehicles, ALL of the manufacturers would slow production. I'm sure Will S. is the first name you see on the list for a SMART car!
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GM WHO? 7:54AM (2/27/2007)
J
Very nice! I hope your head catches fire before you discover there is a brain in it!
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Dandy 8:10AM (2/27/2007)
Rabble rabble rabble
Toyota raped my father
Rabble rabble rabble
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Tina 8:22AM (2/27/2007)
My advice to laid off autoworkers, Leave your union mentalities in Detroit.
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plugh 8:53AM (2/27/2007)
SUV = Highlander
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Howard Kerr 8:51AM (2/27/2007)
Yes, how "stupid" of Toyota to build a plant where land and labor are cheap...they should instead put their plant in the middle of California where land might run 2 or 3 times the cost of this plant site in rural Ms.
I don't know why the AutoBlog article doesn't just say it...the proposed site is near Tupelo, Ms....more famous for being Elvis Presley's birthplace. Two other sites that were considered to be in the running, and apparently they are unaware they no longer are: Marion,Ak.(just across the river from Memphis, Tn.) and a site outside Chattanooga, Tn.)
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Tal 9:03AM (2/27/2007)
Are more SUVs needed?
#2 you may have a valid point.Location.
I believe the most successful "foreign" auto plants have been located around larger populated areas where there is a larger pool of technically educated population.
Why Mississippi???? The worst of Nissans quality problems come out of Mississippi.
Does Toyota think their quality will be any different?
Perhaps it will be different if Toyota hires some Michigan immigrants who know how to build cars.
Same with Kia; if they ever build the plant in
West Point,GA they may be better off hiring displacd Ford employees from Atlanta.
Fire away.
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King 9:39AM (2/27/2007)
I just have to ask....Why would you post this since this blog's only reason is to bash the crap out of Toyota. Once again the haters here will find something bad to say about a very GOOD thing.
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GM WHO? 9:39AM (2/27/2007)
Tal,
...and maybe they could build it in Korea next to the GM/Daewoo plant. Talk about quality! Those little cars are some of the best cars GM has never made.
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C. McFeeny 9:49AM (2/27/2007)
13 - There's just as much domestic industry (if not more) bashing from commenter's on here as there is Toyota bashing. A thick skin is required 'round these parts.
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aaron 10:18AM (2/27/2007)
lol...
check your facts on total employment footprint for domestics even to this day..
Toyota's stated goal is to only produce 60% of what they sell here on our soil.
Saviours my ass.. facts > apologists
The news is good, but they are hardly the great yellow hope..
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Jim Sanders 10:17AM (2/27/2007)
Not as if Toyota will sell more cars.
There is only good in this for the USA.
Currently Toyota still has to import 46.3% of the vehicles they sell from Japan.
That's 1,176,500 vehicles still imported from Japan.
Toyota needs to put up at least 4 more factories to have enough production capacity in North America.
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King 10:21AM (2/27/2007)
#14
Illiteracy...The condition of being unable to read and write. You need to know this so you can read the other blogs. Yea I know they Do bash the others but when it comes to Toyota it gets out of hand. Me I wish they would just crush VW, I have my reasons.
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stratojet 10:37AM (2/27/2007)
Interesting. Toyota is making a Political move when they build plants in USA. It gives them more representation at the White house. In fact they have more weight in the Oval office than GM, Ford And Chrysler. It is due to the fact that Toyota is not concentrated in only one state.
What provide jobs in the auto industry are: suplliers, engineering, parts designs and production. Assembly is just the last step of putting the parts together and contribute to the least added value in the whole process. Toyota would have to move Denso, their main supplier, in USA to make me believe in their "Americanization".
What is going to happen is this:
The US manufacturing of vehicles is agonizing and the Auto industry will leave the country within 5 years if "ceteris paribus". And , on top of this, the US resident won't give a damn about it; they will even cheer like they did with textile, electronics, computers, semi-conductor, golf clubs........And they reelected Bush . Dumb American
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C. McFeeny 10:35AM (2/27/2007)
17 - It's all perception, I suppose. Seeing as I am more of a domestic auto kind of guy, I take the domestic industry bashing a little more personally than I suppose you do. I think the Ford bashing on autoblog.com has gotten WAY out of hand. Aside from the racists who weigh in with the occasional "jap" or "ricer" comments I believe that Ford gets it way worse than Toyota here. Your mileage may vary.
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Rob 11:19AM (2/27/2007)
Sounds like the laws of supply and demand at work to me.
When Toyota starts making cars that no one wants to buy, of mediocre build quality and undesirable design, and their workforce has bloated to the point of financial un-sustainability, maybe they will move production out of the US like others have. Then yet another aspect of the consumeristic US economy can once again be put at the mercy of a foreign dollar and more people will be put out of work so that they can complain about it.
If you don't like it, don't buy it. Let smarter people buy stuff that lasts longer and works better.
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David 12:50PM (2/27/2007)
Detroit vehicles are on their way out. Detroit is laying off both blue and white collar workers by the thousands and Toyota and the other import makes are hiring them. TO HELL WITH THE UNIONS! TO HELL WITH THOSE THAT THINK WE AMERICANS OWE DETROIT A LIVING FOR HELPING US WIN WWII! What has Detroit done for us lately? Detroit did it to themselves.
GLAD THERE GONE, SORRY THEY STAYED SO LONG!
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