Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama is on its way to becoming the world leader in motor manufacturing. The plant, located in Huntsville, produced more than 630,000 engines in 2015. The facility increased its numbers from 2014 by 3.5 percent.
The plant has reached a number of milestones in the past few years, including creating 125 new jobs with an $80 million expansion, and building its 4 millionth engine last September.
The Huntsville plant is the only Toyota facility in the world that builds four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines all under one roof, which makes the site responsible for building engines used in eight of the twelve Toyota models assembled in North Alabama.
Toyota has seen a record year all across the United States. With gas prices dropping, more Americans are buying trucks again, which has sent truck sales to an all-time high. The stabilization of the housing market has also allowed more families to purchase cars. Over 2 million Toyota vehicles were produced in 2015.
The Toyota Alabama plant is just a few months shy of celebrating its 15th anniversary. The plant broke ground in 2001, and in fifteen short years, the facility has expanded four times.
The plant also takes pride in giving back to the local community. Since it began production in 2003, the plant has invested almost $500,000 in the surrounding area. Toyota also donated 40 engines to five local technology schools.
“We believe it’s our responsibility to partner with educators and to support career readiness programs that help develop our future workforce,” Toyota spokeswoman Kim Ogle said. “By having access to the latest in engine technology, our hope is that students will not only gain valuable skills, but also increase their interest in the automotive manufacturing industry.”
Toyota partnered with Calhoun Community College two years ago to start the Advanced Manufacturing Technician Initiative, which gives students hands-on experience and the opportunity to earn enough so they can graduate debt free. The first class will graduate in May.
As one of two model sustainable plants in the United States, the facility puts a great emphasis on how it can reduce waste and improve energy efficiency. A number of projects are set up to further sustainability efforts, like a rainwater-harvesting program with a solar-powered pumping station and a hybrid battery station.
Team members from the plant visit the battery station twice a year and use what they learn to create an environmental management plan.
“Not only is it interesting to our own people, but we also invite people from the other unit plants, such as West Virginia and Kentucky,” Tom Cashin, manager of corporate strategy, explained. “Representatives from their environmental programs are here to see what this program looks like so they can take it back to their shop and utilize it.”
