Expansion in works for San Antonio plant
Toyota expects to spend $17 million on expanding and upgrading its San Antonio plant, known as Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas.
The work will include a 60,000square-foot addition to its existing assembly facility, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. It says the space will be used for car assembly and offices.
Work is expected to start in May and finish in December, the filing indicates.
“We will be undergoing a process upgrade to our existing production line that will require an expansion of our footprint,” spokeswoman Melissa Sparks said in a statement. “We do not speculate on future production. At this time, we do not have an announcement to make.”
The efforts won’t affect any jobs
at the plant, which produces Tundra and Tacoma trucks, she added. The company employs more than 3,000 people in San Antonio, and another 4,000 work at the 23 suppliers at the site.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Toyota’s planned expansion is likely to accommodate production for a new iteration of Tundra pickups.
“I believe that the improvements they are making are setting the stage for the new models, which will require enhanced production lines,” Wolff said. “I don’t know that this is any indication of any additional workforce or anything. But, it is investing for the new line, which could be very exciting; and it could really increase production out there.”
Asked about a new line, Sparks said the company had no comment beyond the original statement.
County officials have been told that the investment is primarily for “continuous improvement” within the processes for their current lines, said David Marquez, the county’s executive director of economic and community development.
Toyota broke ground on the South Side facility in 2003. San Antonio competed with dozens of cities for the plant, and the city, county and state governments offered the company incentives totaling $133 million.
Toyota has not sought additional incentives from the county for the expansion, Wolff said.
The company reported that Tacoma sales were up 10.2 percent last month, “a best-ever February.” Meanwhile, Tundra sales dropped 4.9 percent.