Toyota Columbus Groundbreaking

Toyota Material Handling officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for a nearly $100 million expansion project in Columbus, Indiana. May 29, 2024. (WDRB Photo)
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COLUMBUS, Ind. (WDRB) -- Toyota Material Handling officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a nearly $100 million expansion project in southern Indiana.

The company plans to build a new 295,000-square-foot facility in Columbus. The project will allow Toyota Material Handling, which builds forklifts, to add 85 new jobs by the start of production in June 2026.

"We’re so grateful to see Toyota continuing to invest heavily in southern Indiana," Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a news release Wednesday. "Toyota’s been a cherished partner and career cultivator to the State for the last 35 years, and we look forward to strengthening our bond even more in the decades to come in and around the Columbus region. Today’s remarkable announcement shows yet again just how important our state’s business friendly environment – focus on long-term success and access to a skilled workforce – is to companies seeking to expand and grow far into the future."

Toyota said this new facility will allow it to use cutting-edge manufacturing processes to create electric products much more quickly than it can today.

"At Toyota, we will always be driven by what's best for our customers," Tony Miller, senior vice president of operations, engineering and strategic planning for Toyota Material Handling, said Wednesday. "Electric products are more popular than ever, and we are committed to doing what it takes to keep up with the increase in demand."

Toyota Material Handling first came to Columbus in 1990, and the facility became the company's became the North American Headquarters in 2012.

The expansion is scheduled to be finished in 2026 and is expected to create up to 85 new jobs, Holcomb's office said.

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