Toyota hiring 400 in Mississippi as it shifts production from Canada
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey weighs in on Toyota-Mazda’s decision to open a $1.6 billion plant in Huntsville, and whether this could be the start of the country’s return to manufacturing.
Toyota said Thursday it will shift some production of the Corolla sedan from Canada to the U.S., adding 400 jobs in Mississippi.
The hiring spree, part of a $170 million investment in the Mississippi plant, will support production of a redesigned version of the Corolla. Toyota plans to retool the Blue Springs facility for the next-generation Corolla later this year.
When production of the Corolla ends in Ontario, Toyota will expand production of RAV4 SUVs there.
Toyota initially planned to build the Corolla in Mexico. Instead, plants in Mississippi and Alabama will produce Corollas. Toyota chose to make pickup trucks in Mexico.
The Japanese automaker plans to invest a total of $10 billion in the U.S. during the five-year period ending in 2022. So far, Toyota has announced $4.3 billion of those investments.