A plan to increase capacity for six-speed transmissions at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV) has been expanded and extended. Announced first in February 2011 to raise output to 400,000 units/year by the end of 2012, at a cost of $64 million, the new plan is to produce 520,000 units/year by mid 2013. The automaker said the change is due to “growing demand,” and would result in 80 new jobs at the West Virginia operation, which manufactures engines and transmissions for its North American product line.
The new plan raises the cost of the investment by approximately $45 million to an estimated $109 million.
TMMWV in Buffalo, W.Va., builds six-speed automatic transmissions for Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, Venza, and Lexus RX 350 models built at Toyota assembly plants in North America. Toyota emphasized that its capital investments will continue to emphasized local production to support its manufacturing operations.
The increased projection also calls for raising capacity at Toyota’s wholly owned metalcasting group Bodine Aluminum. The Bodine foundry at Jackson, Tenn., will produce an additional 120,000 transmission cases and 120,000 transmission housings annually. Its capital investment program will increase by approximately $10 million to an estimated $18.4 million.
