Spring 2010
Toyota Moving Ahead with Mississippi Plant
In mid-June, officials with Toyota Motor Corp. announced the automaker will finish construction on its assembly plant near Tupelo, Miss. after the facility was mothballed at the height of the recession in December of 2008. The company broke ground on the $1.3 billion, 2 million-square-foot plant in April of 2007. Toyota planned to build Highlander model SUVs at the facility, but soaring gas prices nixed that plan. The company then announced it would build the fuel efficient Prius at the northeast Mississippi facility in the summer of 2008. Less than six months later, one of the worst automotive markets in U.S. history was in full swing and the plant was delayed indefinitely. Toyota plans to build the Corolla model at the Tupelo plant after equipment is installed and improvements to the facility are made. The company closed its California facility it shared with GM earlier this year. That plant produced about 150,000 Corolla models and most of that production was then moved to Japan. Toyota officials plan to tool the Mississippi plant with used equipment and furnishings from other plants in North America, a move that will save the company about $500 million. Production in Mississippi is set to begin in the fall of 2011. Toyota expects to hire 2,000 workers at the Tupelo auto works.
Nissan Breaks Ground on $1.7B Tennessee Lithium-Ion Battery Plant
In May, Japanese automaker Nissan broke ground on the manufacturing facility that will produce the lithium-ion batteries that will power the Nissan LEAF zero-emission vehicle. The all-electric LEAF will be assembled at Nissan's vehicle assembly facility in Smyrna, Tenn. beginning in 2012. The project represents an investment of $1.7 billion and will create 1,300 jobs.
Is VW Scouting Sites in Tennessee for an Engine Plant?
Sources who requested that they not be identified have told www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com that Volkswagen officials are scouting sites within a 60-mile radius of Chattanooga, Tenn. for an engine plant to serve the German automaker's assembly facility that it is building there. VW officials have gone on the record as saying engines for cars produced at the Chattanooga plant beginning next year will be imported from Germany, Poland and Mexico initially. Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey said in April that economic developers in Chattanooga are pursuing the possible engine and/or transmission plant and would like for it to be built at Enterprise South Industrial park, the site of VW's 2 million-square-foot assembly operation.
Hyundai's Alabama Production Can't Keep Up with Demand
In May, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama had one of its busiest months since the Korean automaker opened its Montgomery, Ala. plant in 2005. The plant rolled out 28,000 Sonata and Sante Fe models and workers at the plant had to put in lots of overtime to produce that many vehicles. But sales of the two models in the U.S. and Canada totaled 31,439 in May and overall Hyundai sold 49,045 vehicles in the U.S. last month. The company reported that during the first five months of 2010 it sold 204,577 vehicles, the most ever in any five month period in the U.S. For more information on the South’s automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.
HK Motors Buys Chinese Battery Manufacturer
Hybrid Kenetic Group Ltd. the parent company of HK Motors, which is proposing an automotive assembly plant near Bay Minette, Ala., has purchased a Chinese company that produces lithium-ion batteries. Hybrid Kenetic purchased Zhejiang GBS Energy for $26.4 million. HK Motors plans to use the batteries for the hybrid vehicles it has proposed to assemble in south Alabama.
Electric Vehicle Plant Going Up in Kansas City
Smith Electric Vehicles has selected Kansas City, Mo. as the location for its new electric vehicle production facility in the U.S. Focused on all-electric, zero-emission commercial vehicles, the facility represents a $10 million investment resulting in the creation of 200 new positions.
Volvo Moving HQ Unit to Greensboro, N.C.
Volvo Financial Services (VFS) is moving its headquarters from Montvale, N.J. to Greensboro. VFS will join sister companies Mack Truck and Volvo Truck, which both have their headquarters in the Piedmont Triad.
Motorcycle Manufacturer Hiring 200 in Oklahoma
U.S. Highland Inc. is increasing production at its Mounds, Okla. headquarters. The expansion could include five new buildings to accommodate production lines for motorcycles and engines as well as more space for research and development. U.S. Highland moved to Oklahoma from Sweden two years ago to produce street and off-road sport bikes.
Volkswagen Opens Training Academy
In June, Volkswagen Group of America officially opened the Volkswagen Academy, the training facility that will prepare employees for work at the plant. The training center is supported by Chattanooga State and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
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Spring 2010
Toyota Moving Ahead with Mississippi Plant
In mid-June, officials with Toyota Motor Corp. announced the automaker will finish construction on its assembly plant near Tupelo, Miss. after the facility was mothballed at the height of the recession in December of 2008. The company broke ground on the $1.3 billion, 2 million-square-foot plant in April of 2007. Toyota planned to build Highlander model SUVs at the facility, but soaring gas prices nixed that plan. The company then announced it would build the fuel efficient Prius at the northeast Mississippi facility in the summer of 2008. Less than six months later, one of the worst automotive markets in U.S. history was in full swing and the plant was delayed indefinitely. Toyota plans to build the Corolla model at the Tupelo plant after equipment is installed and improvements to the facility are made. The company closed its California facility it shared with GM earlier this year. That plant produced about 150,000 Corolla models and most of that production was then moved to Japan. Toyota officials plan to tool the Mississippi plant with used equipment and furnishings from other plants in North America, a move that will save the company about $500 million. Production in Mississippi is set to begin in the fall of 2011. Toyota expects to hire 2,000 workers at the Tupelo auto works.
Nissan Breaks Ground on $1.7B Tennessee Lithium-Ion Battery Plant
In May, Japanese automaker Nissan broke ground on the manufacturing facility that will produce the lithium-ion batteries that will power the Nissan LEAF zero-emission vehicle. The all-electric LEAF will be assembled at Nissan's vehicle assembly facility in Smyrna, Tenn. beginning in 2012. The project represents an investment of $1.7 billion and will create 1,300 jobs.
Is VW Scouting Sites in Tennessee for an Engine Plant?
Sources who requested that they not be identified have told www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com that Volkswagen officials are scouting sites within a 60-mile radius of Chattanooga, Tenn. for an engine plant to serve the German automaker's assembly facility that it is building there. VW officials have gone on the record as saying engines for cars produced at the Chattanooga plant beginning next year will be imported from Germany, Poland and Mexico initially. Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey said in April that economic developers in Chattanooga are pursuing the possible engine and/or transmission plant and would like for it to be built at Enterprise South Industrial park, the site of VW's 2 million-square-foot assembly operation.
Hyundai's Alabama Production Can't Keep Up with Demand
In May, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama had one of its busiest months since the Korean automaker opened its Montgomery, Ala. plant in 2005. The plant rolled out 28,000 Sonata and Sante Fe models and workers at the plant had to put in lots of overtime to produce that many vehicles. But sales of the two models in the U.S. and Canada totaled 31,439 in May and overall Hyundai sold 49,045 vehicles in the U.S. last month. The company reported that during the first five months of 2010 it sold 204,577 vehicles, the most ever in any five month period in the U.S. For more information on the South’s automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.
HK Motors Buys Chinese Battery Manufacturer
Hybrid Kenetic Group Ltd. the parent company of HK Motors, which is proposing an automotive assembly plant near Bay Minette, Ala., has purchased a Chinese company that produces lithium-ion batteries. Hybrid Kenetic purchased Zhejiang GBS Energy for $26.4 million. HK Motors plans to use the batteries for the hybrid vehicles it has proposed to assemble in south Alabama.
Electric Vehicle Plant Going Up in Kansas City
Smith Electric Vehicles has selected Kansas City, Mo. as the location for its new electric vehicle production facility in the U.S. Focused on all-electric, zero-emission commercial vehicles, the facility represents a $10 million investment resulting in the creation of 200 new positions.
Volvo Moving HQ Unit to Greensboro, N.C.
Volvo Financial Services (VFS) is moving its headquarters from Montvale, N.J. to Greensboro. VFS will join sister companies Mack Truck and Volvo Truck, which both have their headquarters in the Piedmont Triad.
Motorcycle Manufacturer Hiring 200 in Oklahoma
U.S. Highland Inc. is increasing production at its Mounds, Okla. headquarters. The expansion could include five new buildings to accommodate production lines for motorcycles and engines as well as more space for research and development. U.S. Highland moved to Oklahoma from Sweden two years ago to produce street and off-road sport bikes.
Volkswagen Opens Training Academy
In June, Volkswagen Group of America officially opened the Volkswagen Academy, the training facility that will prepare employees for work at the plant. The training center is supported by Chattanooga State and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
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