More than $4 billion invested, approximately 4.45 million vehicles built, $119.3 million paid in property taxes, more than 264,000 employee volunteer hours and $23 million donated to local nonprofits — all parts of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana’s two decades in Gibson County.
The company marked its 20th anniversary in Princeton on Wednesday with a celebration at its plant.
The official announcement that Toyota was launching in Gibson County came in November 1995, and the first vehicle didn’t roll off the production line until December 1998, but it was May 8, 1996 when a ground-breaking ceremony took place for the plant that has grown to 4.2 million square feet.
State and federal jobs reports indicate that manufacturing jobs are growing in Indiana, but they aren’t at the levels they were when Toyota moved into the region.
Still, Toyota has grown, even in the face of economic adversity, said Todd Mosby, president of Gibson County Economic Development Corp.
When built, it was a $700-million plant intended to only produce the Tundra, but now the plant manufactures the Sienna minivan, the Sequoia SUV and the Highlander models. According to the company, it has invested $4.3 billion into its operations and now has 5,000 employees.
During the 2008 recession, the company ceased production for three months. Rather than layoff workers, or dismantle production lines, Toyota set up classrooms for its workers and taught them new skills.
Gibson County could’ve been more greatly affected by the recession than it was had Toyota done differently, Mosby said.
“When you look at other auto manufacturers, who laid people off or downsized, Toyota didn’t do that. They took the opposite approach,” he said.
Manufacturing and trade policy were focal points of this year’sIndiana presidential primary due to companies such as Carrier Technologies, which announced in April it was moving its operations from Indiana to Mexico — resulting in layoffs for 2,100 workers.
Evansville knows the impact of large manufacturers leaving town. Whirlpool closed in 2009, leaving 1,100 unemployed. Both plants are fractions of the size of Toyota’s operation in Gibson County.
If Toyota would leave Princeton or cease operations, the impact would be deep, Mosby said.
“I’d use the word devastating. To lose a corporation like TMMI would be a lot to try to come back from,” he said.
The impact would go further than an economic one.
“It’s not just the numbers; it’s the families. It’s all the contributions Toyota makes to not-for-profits, and the way they help all the communities around us,” he said.
Wednesday’s ceremonies included comments from longterm employees and Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, and while remarks varied, a recurring theme was Toyota’s role as a “corporate citizen” in not only Princeton, but the entire region and state.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing President Norm Bafunno said after the event he knows the company has a strong financial impact in the area, but that’s not all Toyota offers.
“But more important to me is the hours of volunteer work that our team members do. The little things that are really required and essential to make our community better is what we try to talk about. That is apart of our culture,” Bafunno said.