Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA) has opened a new USD100 million electric forklift manufacturing facility at its Indiana site, marking its largest investment to date to increase its manufacturing footprint.

The 295,000 sqft. (27,4000 sqm) facility will produce forklifts for both the Toyota and Raymond brands and takes the company’s footprint at the site to 1.9 million square feet (176,500 sqm).

The initial product to be manufactured at the site will be the electric class 1 stand-up counterbalance forklift, which has an updated design and has previously been produced at the TMHNA factory in Greene, NY. 

TMHNA says the shift in production location allows the Greene factory to focus on “increasingly important products” such as reach trucks, order pickers, and automation, while the new factory in Columbus provides increased capacity for counterbalance forklift production.

TMHNA says the strategic move positions the company to meet forecast demand for electric forklifts in the next five years and beyond.

TMHNA president and CEO, Brett Wood, adds: “In 2023, 66% of all lift trucks sold in North America were electric powered, and currently the market is approximately 70% electric”.

“The electric forklift demand is likely to reach 80% before 2035, and our new factory is poised to address this electrification trend,” Wood continues.

“The factory is symbolic of our continued ambition to lead the material handling industry with forward-thinking strategic initiatives. It has been rewarding to see the collaboration over the last two years of the Toyota team, suppliers and city and state representatives to make our Columbus campus the epicentre of electric forklift innovation for years to come.”

TMHNA adds the factory has a blend of automation and human “craftsmanship” with sustainability a feature including the zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) powder coat process to a building designed for future rooftop solar installation.

The opening of the new production facility will also see an additional 140 jobs created, adding to the 2,100 employees already there.