Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC) will build its 5 millionth car in Canada today, a red Lexus RX350 (pictured, 2013 Lexus RX350 F Sport).
“From humble beginnings, today TMMC is a globally respected manufacturing operation that can produce more than 500,000 vehicles per year. Our success has allowed us to create more good jobs for Canadians and become a better corporate citizen for our community,” said TMMC Chairman Ray Tanguay.
TMMC began operations in Cambridge, Ontario in 1988 in a plant designed to build just 50,000 vehicles per year, approximately the same number of vehicles Toyota sold in Canada at that time
Today, TMMC has the capacity to build more than 500,000 vehicles annually at plants in Cambridge, Ontario and Woodstock, Ontario.
Toyota now builds more than two vehicles in Canada for every vehicle Toyota sells in Canada
Currently, Toyota builds five products in Canada:
· Toyota Corolla and Toyota Matrix, built in the TMMC North Plant (Cambridge)
· Toyota RAV4, and RAV4 EV, built in TMMC West Plant (Woodstock)
· Lexus RX350, built in TMMC South Plant (Cambridge).
Current employment has grown from the level of 1000 anticipated in 1988 to more than 6,500.
TMMC continues to experience significant growth. The Woodstock plant will add 400 new jobs by January 2013 and the Lexus operation in Cambridge will add another 400 jobs by January 2014.
TMMC also continues to be the only plant outside of Japan to build a Lexus product and beginning in early 2014, the hybrid version of the popular Lexus, the RX 450h, will also be built in Cambridge.
Throughout its 26 year history of growth, TMMC has earned 11 J.D. Power and Associates Quality Plant Awards, and has been named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for nine consecutive years.
“Our Team Members consistently demonstrate that they can compete on a global basis for quality, innovation, and teamwork and they continue to be publicly recognized for their expertise. This is a proud milestone for our company,” said TMMC President Brian Krinock.
It took TMMC 11 years to build its first million vehicles. It is likely that the next million will be made less than two years from now.
