The 1,300 employees at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV) facility recently had a lot of celebrating to do. This is because the plant, which manufactures engines and automatic transmissions, just completed the assembly of its 10 millionth powertrain. After starting up the operation twenty years ago, the success of the facility has grown to make it the first plant outside of Japan to accomplish such a milestone.
In response to achieving such an important accomplishment, Senator Jay Rockefeller, explains, "Twenty years ago, the idea of Toyota in West Virginia was just a hope and a dream. Today represents more than just the units produced; it represents a better life for families and new growth for the Buffalo community and our state. Bringing Toyota to West Virginia is truly one of the proudest moments of my career, and I'm simply thrilled at this historic milestone."1
The West Virginia facility assembles a variety of powertrains that include the V6 and four cylinder engines and 6-speed automatic transmissions. These are then used in 9 out of the 12 new Toyota models that are produced in North America. The plant has grown so much that it can now accommodate the production of 650,000 engines and 520,000 automatic transmissions each year.
To properly celebrate its success, TMMWW donated $32,500 to 13 different schools within the area. This will support the Bridgemont Community and Technical College's Advanced Manufacturing Technician program that TMMWW helps operate. Since 1996 TMMWV has supported various local organizations with donations that amount to about $6.5 million. Here at Lithia Toyota of Missoula we are quite impressed with the way Toyota continues to give back to the community with each milestone reached.
If you're interested in checking out the great lineup of models that sport these well-made powertrains, we invite all of you to visit showroom conveniently located in Missoula, MT. We can schedule you for test drive with the model that piques your interests, or answer any questions that you may have about our current Toyota specials. Feel free to stop by anytime during our normal business hours!
Source: 1http://toyotanewsroom.com/releases/toyota+west+virginia+plant+production+10+millionth+unit.htm
