(WKYT) – Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky announced $1 billion in investments across its Kentucky and Indiana operations as the automotive plant celebrated 40 years in Scott County.
The company announced $800 million to prepare the plant for its second battery electric vehicle. The three-row Highlander, the company’s first EV SUV, will be built this fall in Georgetown.
Nearly 10,000 employees work at the facility. Those team members commute into Scott County from 80 of Kentucky’s 120 counties.
“That’s a testament to how important Toyota is to this community and to this region,” said Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky. “I’ve watched our team members walk in day one and grow into problem solvers and leaders families who have built their lives around the stability and opportunity this company provides.”
Education investments
The company announced $4 million to expand STEM learning and resources for Scott and Fayette County students.
“Their continued investments in our young people is just extraordinary and making a difference to make connections for them so they can advance in careers right here in town,” said Joe Pat Covington, Scott County judge executive. “Keeping your best and brightest here is so important.”
The company awarded Eastern Kentucky University $400,000 to support the school’s manufacturing engineering program.
“It’s going to help us on that faculty front but also those funds are going to be used to enhance the student experience as well as we make some strategic investments,” said Dr. David McFaddin, president of EKU.
Michael Clark, director of business and economic research at the University of Kentucky, said the commonwealth had high expectations of the plant when it started.
“The additional investments announced are encouraging at a time where we see a lot of uncertainty,” Clark said. “We are also looking at employment that developed in other manufacturing plants that are providing inputs to Toyota.”
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky has become the company’s largest manufacturing plant in the world.