Toyota picks Mississippi for Highlander SUV plant

[Robert Hall]

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Toyota ™ said Tuesday that it will build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in northeast Mississippi to manufacture its Highlander sport-utility vehicle.

Production is set to begin by 2010 and employment is projected at 2,000. The company said it expects to build 150,000 vehicles a year.

The plant will be built on a 1,700-acre site at Blue Springs, land that has been promoted for economic development.

Mississippi was chosen in a competition with Tennessee and Arkansas.

Gov. Haley Barbour and two Toyota manufacturing executive vice presidents, Gary Convis and Ray Tanguay, announced the project in an auditorium at Tupelo High School.

"Toyota is the world's premiere auto manufacturer, and our state will be the best partner the company has," Barbour said in prepared remarks.

The plant will be the second carmaker to locate in the state. Nissan opened an assembly plant north of Jackson in 2003. That plant employs about 4,000 people and produced about 278,000 vehicles last year.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Z-06]

It will probably be delayed and the price will go to 1.7 billion. Toyota will charge more on the highlander.

[BrewSwillis]

Toyota ™ said Tuesday that it will build a $1.3 billion assembly plant in northeast Mississippi to manufacture its Highlander sport-utility vehicle.

Toyota makes 3.5 BILLION every four months. Big deal that they invest a sliver of it back into the US just so they can claim more heartland Americanness.

They plan on hiring 2000 employees??......How many employees have the Big 3 released in the past year??.......directly due to Toyota??

[Intrepidation]

Soon even the rednecks will be converted to import humpers! I mean their favorite sport has the Camry in it already.

[Robert Hall]

Toyota makes 3.5 BILLION every four months. Big deal that they invest a sliver of it back into the US just so they can claim more heartland Americanness.

They plan on hiring 2000 employees??......How many employees have the Big 3 released in the past year??.......directly due to Toyota??

I wouldn't say that the Big 3's layoffs are due to Toyota necessarily..there are a lot of other factors.

[balthazar]

Disappointing: no details on the incentive package offered to toyota....

[JT64]

I take it this is a future Highlander that hasn't been designed?

The plant won't be built in time for the 2008 Highlander.

[Robert Hall]

I take it this is a future Highlander that hasn't been designed?

The plant won't be built in time for the 2008 Highlander.

If production is set to begin in '10, then it will be the '10 or '11 Highlander...

[BrewSwillis]

I wouldn't say that the Big 3's layoffs are due to Toyota necessarily..there are a lot of other factors.

I will guarantee you that more than 2000 lost Big 3 jobs are directly due to Toyota. Even the hardest Toyota humpers on this board wouldn't dispute that.

[Polish_Kris]

I will guarantee you that more than 2000 lost Big 3 jobs are directly due to Toyota. Even the hardest Toyota humpers on this board wouldn't dispute that.

Yeah, because people are turning to Toyota products, because they are making better cars, duh.

[BrewSwillis]

Yeah, because people are turning to Toyota products, because they are making better cars, duh.

Wow!!! I just put out the Toyota humper call, and look how quick a reply came!!

[Robert Hall]

I will guarantee you that more than 2000 lost Big 3 jobs are directly due to Toyota. Even the hardest Toyota humpers on this board wouldn't dispute that.

I would argue there are more jobs lost by the Big 3 due to the mistakes the Big 3 have made over the last 25+ years...

[BrewSwillis]

I would argue there are more jobs lost by the Big 3 due to the mistakes the Big 3 have made over the last 25+ years...

Like not paying the US government more than the Japanese did to allow the unfair competition?

[mustang84]

Disappointing: no details on the incentive package offered to toyota....

That's what I want to know too...how much of the surrounding roads, piping, sewer, etc. was paid by Mississippi taxpayers? Another $400 million incentive package like Kia got for its plant?

[JT64]

That's what I want to know too...how much of the surrounding roads, piping, sewer, etc. was paid by Mississippi taxpayers? Another $400 million incentive package like Kia got for its plant?

Well our government does pull money out of thin air with bonds and "debt" that some how exists.

The important thing is that $400 million dollars creates jobs.

That $400 million is not given to Toyota, that $400 million is paid to American workers to build these roads, piping, sewer, etc.

So Toyota is giving Mississipians jobs, and Mississippi is giving Mississippians jobs. And the State of Mississippi has debt that goes who knows where.

National debt is cool. I love how America can pull money out of thin air, and supposedly "repay" it over decades.

Edited March 1, 2007 by JT64

[ocnblu]

Hey PolishThis, I have a question for you: do you think those Mississippi factory workers will be able to afford to buy the product they'll be building for Toyota?

And I wonder how many Mississippians GM already employs, either directly or indirectly (dealerships, etc.). I wonder if it's more than 2000...

[balthazar]

>>"The important thing is that $400 million dollars creates jobs."<<

Even if each job costs the state 3-4 times what the job pays?

>>"That $400 million is not given to Toyota, that $400 million is paid to American workers to build these roads, piping, sewer, etc."<<

Not all of it, not by a long shot. Typically, utility costs are waved for years- that money is not paid to American worker. Typically, taxes breaks in the millions are given to the 'transplant' corporation- that money is not paid to American worker- in fact the American worker then subsidizes the corporation. You are blissfully oversimplifying.

[Polish_Kris]

Hey Bruce Willis, I was just joking. Wanted to say that, because I wanted to see your reaction.

And ocnblu, I know what you're getting at, because Toyota plants are not unionized, and don't make $200/hr like GM pays their workers. However, Toyota products are in demand in North America if you like it or not. You're talking about the politics now, not their products. Yes, it is sad, that the U.S. car idustry is falling under it's own weight. Jobs are affected, however this is what happens when you concentrate more on politics than the product itself. Look what's happening to Chrysler and Ford.

[CARBIZ]

You gotta hand it to Toyota, though: their scheme is very clever. First, locate in low-wage, high income states that really DO need the jobs. These workers will be thrilled (for the most part) to have a job at all. They will be very easy to sway to Toyota's way of thinking. Their taxes will be lower for a very long time. The job losses in the north won't seem so obviously tied to the plant openings in the south. From a business point of view, it makes sense. From a "we're as American as Chevrolet" point of view, it is kick ass planning.

I'll give you some more math to chew on: Toyota hires 900 to work in their new Woodstock plant (Ontario) while at the same time GM and Ford laid off 2,400. I love that kind of math - in the same province, too.

[haypops]

I'll give you some more math to chew on: Toyota hires 900 to work in their new Woodstock plant (Ontario) while at the same time GM and Ford laid off 2,400. I love that kind of math - in the same province, too.

You seem to be saying that Toyota workers are almost three times more efficient than are GM and Ford workers! Maybe I should give up my Ponitac and GMC vehicles and get a Toyota too. By the way I wear American built shoes, what are you sporting?

[vrazzhledazzle]

woohoo

- 30,000 ford

- 13,000 chrysler

+ 2000 toyota!!!!111

yay

[Clownzilla]

Hey Bruce Willis, I was just joking. Wanted to say that, because I wanted to see your reaction.

And ocnblu, I know what you're getting at, because Toyota plants are not unionized, and don't make $200/hr like GM pays their workers. However, Toyota products are in demand in North America if you like it or not. You're talking about the politics now, not their products. Yes, it is sad, that the U.S. car idustry is falling under it's own weight. Jobs are affected, however this is what happens when you concentrate more on politics than the product itself. Look what's happening to Chrysler and Ford.

Well, Toyota plants will eventually become unionized and they will start to move production back out of the USA.

[gm4life]

The man makes a point even in this down time of American automakers, I think the in the end Toyota will get unionized and get f*cked royally. At least that is my hope, and the press is doing a great job of making GM look like sh*t. Big suprise, if Toyota takes one will they become there punching bag.

Edited March 7, 2007 by gm4life