The Columbus plant is growing

Toyota plans to spend USD16 million to renovate and expand the Indiana factory where it builds three- and four-wheel forklifts and other equipment.

Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Inc. senior manager Steve Pride says the Industrial Equipment Manufacturing campus near Columbus was about 250,000 sqft. (23,225 sqm) 25 years ago. It will be just over a million square feet (929,000 sq m) with the upcoming expansion, to be completed in September 2016.

The expansion will establish a facility for the division's headquarters, and add a new cafeteria and more locker room space.

Toyota has about 1,100 workers in the manufacturing facility, along with some 175 people working in sales, marketing and distribution.

Opened in 1990, the Columbus facilities include a national customer centre and training centre, manufacturing operations and distribution centres for equipment and service parts.

The total investment to date exceeds USD117 million.