Area Development
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (TMMAL) will invest $147 million to add capacity at its engine production plant in Huntsville, Alabama. The company says in a statement that at least 240 new employees will be hired, raising total employment at the Alabama facility to more than 1,000 workers. "The four-cylinder engines to be produced in Alabama will be for Camry and RAV4," says Jim Wiseman, vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. "Currently, all engines for RAV4s made at our Woodstock, Ontario, plant come from Japan, as well as engines for Camrys built at SIA in Lafayette, Indiana. We're pleased to be moving all of this production to North America." The expansion in Alabama will allow the Japan-headquartered automaker to produce 216,000 four-cylinder engines per year; this will boost annual engine capacity at the plant to 577,000. Production is expected to begin by summer 2011.