Toyota’s Princeton, Indiana, plant (TMMI) will increase production of the petrol Highlander [Kluger in some markets] mid-size SUV late in 2014 with a US$30m spend, adding 200 new jobs as production volume goes up 15,000 units.
This is Toyota’s 10th production increase announcement in the past 20 months including plants in Huntsville, Alabama, Buffalo, West Virginia, Georgetown, Kentucky, and Ontario, Canada. The total spend is $2bn for 4,000 jobs.
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“This capacity increaseis to meet growing demand for the Highlander and is a part of our strategy to build vehicles where we sell them,” said TMMI president Norm Bafunno.
Indiana builds a petrol version of the Highlander and will add the hybrid version before the end of the year, replacing imports from Japan. Exports to Russia, Australia and New Zealand begin later this year.
TMMI currently employs 4,500 building the Highlander, Sequoia full-size SUV and Sienna minivan. Current production capacity is 300,000 vehicles and will increase to 350,000 later this year as announced in February 2012. Today’s announcment raises capacity to 365,000 vehicles by late 2014.
