After months of hunting for parts and cutting back due to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, North American Toyota announced its production is back up. The return to 100 percent has come earlier than expected from Toyota, who anticipated a October or November occurence. In June, the company had reached full production for a few of its vehicles, but not all of them. As of now, all cars and trucks, including the Tacoma, Tundra, RAV 4 and Lexus RX 350 are being produced at full steam.
“The recovery is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our North American team members, suppliers and business partners. All of us at Toyota greatly appreciate the patience and support of our customers and dealers, many of whom have made generous donations in support of the relief efforts in Japan,” said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing Executive Vice President. In order to make up for lost time and rebuild its dealership inventory, many North American Toyota plant employees will be working overtime and Saturday shifts. For the fourth quarter, plans for an increase in production levels by almost 15 percent are in order. North American Toyota’s next plant, located in Mississippi, is scheduled to start production of the Corolla in October.
Source: Toyota
