Last month, we hosted senior executives from Toyota Material Handling, Raymond, and Bastian Solutions, as well as local dignitaries – including Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb – and members of the media for a historic groundbreaking event in Columbus. We officially broke ground on our new factory – a nearly $100M investment – which will be dedicated to the production of electric products and is expected to be completed in June 2026.
This expansion marks another milestone in Toyota’s growth as a company and its longstanding partnership with the state of Indiana, and highlights the organization’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and solving customer problems.
“We are excited about this significant strategic expansion to our Columbus campus,” said Tony Miller, Toyota Material Handling Senior Vice President for Engineering, Operations & Strategic Planning. “At Toyota, we will always be driven by what is best for our customers. Electric products are more popular than ever, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep up with increased demand. This new factory will allow us to deliver those electric units to customers faster than we can today.”
The project will allow Toyota Material Handling to add 85 new jobs by the start of production in June 2026.
“Indiana has made it a strategic priority to cultivate the economy of the future, and we continue to see impact of our work thanks to the partnership of great companies like Toyota,” said Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb, who attended the groundbreaking event. “We’re so grateful to see Toyota continuing to invest heavily in southern Indiana. Toyota’s been a cherished partner and career cultivator to the State for the last 35 years, and we look forward to strengthening our bond even more in the decades to come in and around the Columbus region. Today’s remarkable announcement shows yet again just how important our state’s business friendly environment – focus on long-term success and access to a skilled workforce – is to companies seeking to expand and grow far into the future.”
The decision to invest an additional $100 million in a new factory underscores Toyota Material Handling’s dedication to advancing sustainable technologies and meeting the evolving needs of its customers. The facility will allow Toyota to leverage cutting-edge manufacturing processes to produce electric products much more quickly than it can today, while meeting the high standard of quality customers expect from Toyota.
“Electric forklifts make up 65% of the North American market and this trend towards electrification in the material handling industry will continue to grow,” said Brett Wood, President & CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America and Senior Executive Officer for Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO). “We hope this announcement shows our industry-leading dealer network and our customers that we are a proactive company, not a reactive one. We do not just plan for next week or next year – we’re preparing for the next decade, and this new initiative perfectly represents our commitment to that strategy. This investment is one of the largest in our history and signifies TICO’s commitment to the North American market, the state of Indiana, the city of Columbus, and most importantly, our dealers and our customers.”
We have generated a record amount of media coverage from this event and wanted to invite and encourage you to share the great news with your local media, customers, and through your own websites and social media channels. We encourage you to share our press release on your social media channels and help us spread this positive news as far as possible.
You can also use this Dropbox link to access photos from the event.
If you have any questions or would like us to review your custom press release, please reach out to Justin Albers at justin.albers@toyotatmh.com or 812-350-9739. Thank you in advance for helping us share this exciting news in your markets!
