Toyota News - Official: Toyota to build Highlanders in Mississippi

February 28, 2007 by tsikot

As expected, Toyota officially announced its plans to build the Highlander in northeast Mississippi. The company will invest $1.8 billion in the project and initially employ 2,000 workers. Toyota officials, along with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (speaking in photo), made the announcement this morning at a press conference in Tupelo, Miss.

“We in Mississippi and especially north Mississippi are excited to have been chosen by Toyota as its partner,” Barbour said at the conference. “Toyota is the world’s premiere auto manufacturer and our state will be the best partner the company has.”

Plans are for the plant to be up and running by 2009, producing as many as 150,000 gasoline-powered 2010 model Highlanders a year. Hybrid Highlander production will remain in Japan. With an incentive package somewhat smaller than the state offered Nissan in 2003, Toyota will acquire the entire 1,500 acre site that straddles three counties.

[Sources: The Clarion-Ledger, The Commercial Appeal, Sean P. Thompson]

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