To celebrate 20 years in Jackson, Toyota Tennessee donated $100,000 to local nonprofits. The company is donating $20,000 to the following charities: Boys & Girls Club of Jackson; Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse; Jackson-Madison County School System, to support bringing the GreenpowerUSA electric race car program to Madison County students; RIFA; and the STAR Center.
“We are grateful for the success and the relationships built in Jackson over the past 20 years,” said Wes Woods, president of Toyota Tennessee. “Core to our success is the dedication of our team; their drive for innovation and continuous improvement ensures we produce high-quality products that our customers need. We are excited to continue working with our partners and investing in this community.”
Toyota Tennessee, formerly Bodine Aluminum, officially broke ground in 2003. It is one of nine Toyota plants in the United States and employs more than 400 people with a total investment of $425 million. The plant can produce 2.5 million engine blocks and transmission casings and housing every year that go into every Toyota and Lexus vehicle assembled in North America.
“Tennessee is a national leader in the automotive industry thanks to our unmatched business climate,central location and a workforce development strategy tailored to meet the needs of our state’s growing economy,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “For the last 20 years, Toyota has been a key partner in creating good jobs and greater opportunity for Tennesseans, and I look forward to its continued success in West Tennessee.”
A press release sent out by Toyota Tennessee says they have invested more than $2 million into local nonprofits, reflecting the company’s commitment to helping improve the communities where it operates. Employees also volunteer their time and talents supporting local activities such as park clean up and beautification efforts, educating students about STEM career opportunities and serving as board members. Toyota is also the founding partner of the Jackson State Advanced Manufacturing Technician (AMT) program, which has graduated more than 130 students into manufacturing careers.
“Jackson is fortunate to have many great employers like Toyota Tennessee in our community,” said AJ Massey, Madison County Mayor. “Toyota has demonstrated time and time again not only its commitment to high-quality products and stable employment for its team members but also its belief in our community. They lead as a strong partner to help make Jackson and Madison County better places to live and work.”
Recently, Toyota Tennessee changed their work schedule to support four 10-hour shifts or three 12-hour shifts for its employees. In 2022, Toyota announced two investments inToyota Tennessee totaling $53 million to support increased production of hybrid engine cases andhousings and new four-cylinder engine blocks. Toyota is estimated to support more than 17,000 jobs in Tennessee when combining direct employees, direct dealer and Toyota-dedicated supplier employees.
Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news
