Toyota, Mazda Join Forces for New Manufacturing Plant in Alabama
Toyota and Mazda have announced they have selected Alabama to be home to a new joint-venture manufacturing plant.
The new plant will be in Huntsville, Alabama, and will have the capacity to build 300,000 vehicles per year, with production split evenly between the two automakers. The new plant will be home to production for a Mazda crossover that will be newly introduced to the North American market, while Toyota will build the Corolla. Both companies will equally invest a total of $1.6-billion combined, and the new site is approximately 14 miles from Toyota’s current Alabama plant.
The new facility is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs and production should begin by 2021.
SEE ALSO: Toyota, Mazda, and Denso Partner to Develop Electric Vehicles
Last year, the two automakers, along with Denso, announced a partnership to develop electric vehicles. It appears likely the two Japanese automakers will continue working with one another for the foreseeable future.
“Mazda makes cars with a clear vision of how we want to inspire people, contribute to society and help preserve the beauty of the earth. By making such cars here in Alabama, we hope that over time our plant will come to occupy a special place in the hearts of our employees and the local community. By making this plant a vibrant part of that community, we hope to work, learn and grow together with the people of Alabama and Huntsville,” said Mazda Motor Corporation president and CEO, Masamichi Kogai.
Discuss this story on our Toyota Forum
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
More by Jason Siu
Comments
Join the conversation
Absolutely a solid choice. There are several plants within a 200 mile radius which means finding a fully qualified workforce should be relatively easy. And since the state has a port; they can ship their cars wherever they want.