Toyota Tacoma 2011 is Toyota's pick-up truck target for American market. Tacoma's production began at the San Antonio, TX plant, which was built in 2009 with an investment of $1.4 billion. However, the overall sales haven't been good so far and Toyota's offials are blaiming slumping economy for the slow sales.
Toyota Launches Tacoma Production in San Antonio
About 1,000 Jobs Added to Produce Toyota’s Best-Selling Pickup
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (August 6, 2010) – Production of the Tacoma pickup truck began last month but was marked today with a ceremony at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX). The $100 million investment boosts total investment to $1.4 billion.
Texas Governor Rick Perry joined San Antonio community leaders, team members, suppliers as well as Toyota officials including Toyota Motor Corporation Executive Vice President Atsushi Niimi.
Tacoma’s production move to TMMTX was announced a year ago and adds 1,000 jobs. Today, over 2,800 team members are employed at TMMTX and the plant is fully positioned to ramp up Toyota’s pickup truck production for the American market.
“The San Antonio plant has shown a great deal of resilience during the recession and is fully prepared to ramp-up Tacoma production,” said Chris Nielsen, TMMTX president. “By building Tacoma in Texas, we are able to consolidate pickup truck production in the United States under one roof, allowing us to fully utilize the plant’s capacity.”
During the economic downturn, TMMTX was one of several Toyota plants impacted by poor sales. However, TMMTX retained its workforce instead of laying off, in order to strengthen team members’ skills and improve plant processes.
