News

3/2/2006
TMMK Celebrates Launch of All-New, Sixth Generation Camry

Georgetown Plant Begins 20th Year of Business in Kentucky

Team members celebrate the official lineoff of the all-new 2007 Camry.

GEORGETOWN, KENTUCKY, (January 31, 2006) — Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) celebrated the launch of the all-new, sixth generation Camry today with team members, local community leaders, and company executives from the manufacturing and sales divisions.

TMMK is Toyota’s largest manufacturing plant in North America. Last year the Georgetown plant built 509,140 vehicles including 356,428 Camrys. The Camry has been a symbol of pride of the more than 7,000 team members who work at the Georgetown plant and has been America’s number one selling car in the United States for eight of the last nine years.

Former Kentucky Governor Martha Lane Collins shows TMMK team members the official shovel that was used during ground breaking twenty years ago. Governor Collins told the crowd that "We must never, ever take the partnership (between Kentucky and Japan) for granted."

Governor Collins meets Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation.

“No matter how well-designed and engineered a vehicle might be, no matter how well it is marketed, it is only as good as the people who manufacture it,” stated Gary Convis, President of TMMK. “Toyota has entrusted our team members with the honor and responsibility of building America’s favorite car – the Camry. They have been manufacturing them since 1988, and have earned the respect of the entire auto industry.”

Jim Press, President & COO of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., also praised the TMMK team members. “Camry is THE most important vehicle in our line-up and each team member deserves tremendous credit for making it so successful. For two decades, you’ve built a culture here that has made Camry’s quality second to none as well as made it America’s favorite car.”

The all-new, sixth generation Camry will be launched in eight different plants around the world over the next eleven months. In addition to Kentucky, the Camry will be built in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, China, Russia and Vietnam.

TMMK President Gary Convis thanked team members for all of their hard work and dedication to the new model Camry.

TMMK has the capacity to produce 500,000 vehicles and engines annually. As one of the state’s largest employers, TMMK represents a $5.3 billion investment with an annual payroll that exceeds $500 million. TMMK uses 350 suppliers across the U.S., including about 80 in Kentucky. Through this supplier network, nearly 35,000 jobs have been created across the state.

TMMK is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Kentucky. Georgetown was announced as the plant site in 1986, and the plant built its first Camry in 1988. Since then TMMK has built more than 6.5 million vehicles. For more information about TMMK, visit the company’s Web site at www.toyotageorgetown.com.

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Contact:
Rick Hesterberg
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.
502-868-2135