Toyota investing $28M in Ann Arbor facilities, adding 60 jobs
Toyota plans to invest almost $30 million to expand its Ann Arbor-area Toyota Technical Center, resulting in 60 new jobs, MLive reported.
AP photo
Bob Carter, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. senior vice president of automotive operations, said the Japanese-based automaker will invest $28 million in its Toyota Technical Center operations in Ann Arbor to develop engines and automatic transmissions for its vehicles in North America.
"We believe we are very well-positioned for another good year,” he said when announcing the investment during an Automotive Press Association meeting in downtown Detroit. The investment, Carter said, will result in 60 new jobs. In a release, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder touted the investment to show "Toyota's commitment” to the state.
"Toyota is a global leader in the automotive industry and its growth in Michigan is welcome news for all of us," Snyder said. "Toyota's commitment strongly signals that Michigan offers an improved climate for increased business investment. We welcome this very positive decision."
Comments
Nicholas Urfe
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 12:34 a.m.
I disliked Granholm, but her efforts to make the Toyota tech center happen, instead of yet another real estate development, were a great accomplishment for Michigan. Recall this bitter whining about it from the Mackinac Center: http://www.mackinac.org/6946 For months now, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been finagling a land deal to lure Toyota Technical Center USA to Southeast Michigan. Unfortunately for the governor — but fortunately for Michigan citizens and the rule of law — a judge on Monday cleared the way for a legal challenge against her administration's backroom efforts to give undue preference to Toyota in selling the land. Gov. Granholm has responded to the court's ruling by vowing to stay the course and wield all her powers to secure the prime real estate for the proposed automotive tech center. The prospect of new hi-tech jobs is appealing, of course. But Michigan has more to lose than to gain if the governor succeeds with her corporate welfare scheme, which has already exacerbated the state's longstanding problems in attracting new investment.
grye
Fri, Sep 6, 2013 : 11:35 a.m.
The Toyota Tech Center existed in Ann Arbor prior to Granholm. Granholm lobbied for the land off of Willis Road to be sold to Toyota to expand the operation located on the East side of Ann Arbor.