Toyota Material Handling will spend nearly USD100 million to build a new electric forklift manufacturing plant in Indiana.

When the new factory is complete in mid-2026, Toyota’s manufacturing facilities in Columbus will be more than six times larger than the 280,000 sq.ft (26,000 sqm) factory it opened in 1990.

“Electric forklifts make up 65% of the North American market and this trend towards electrification in the material handling industry will continue to grow,” says Toyota Material Handling North America chief executive officer Brett Wood.

“This investment is one of the largest in our history and signifies Toyota Industries Corporation’s commitment to the North American market, the state of Indiana, the city of Columbus, and most importantly, our dealers and our customers.”

Including the newest project, Toyota has completed more than 15 total expansions in North America over the past 34 years, with more than USD400M in total investments. 

“Electric products are more popular than ever, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep up with increased demand,” says Tony Miller, Toyota Material Handling’s senior vice president for engineering, operations and strategic planning.

“This new factory will allow us to deliver those electric units to customers faster than we can today.”

Toyota expects the expansion will create 85 new jobs.