TOKYO/TORRANCE, California — The word out of Tokyo on Monday morning suggested that Toyota is putting the brakes on plans to build a plant in Mississippi because of the slowing U.S. economy. But in an e-mail message to Inside Line at noon on Monday, Toyota's U.S. operation said, "'Delay' is a very strong word for this.
"We always said the plant would open by 2010, which means there was some consideration to open late '09," said Mike Goss, Toyota's U.S. manufacturing spokesman, in the message. "We have now decided to open mid-'10 to coincide with a minor enhancement to Highlander." He concluded that the timetable is "in fact not a delay at all."
Toyota Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita told the Associated Press that the plant opening will be pushed back to mid-2010. The AP said the plant had been scheduled to open late next year or early in 2010. The wire service report commented: "Toyota is worried about the slowing U.S. economy, sluggish auto sales and the weak dollar."
What this means to you: Buried in all the controversy over semantics is official word that the Highlander is getting a freshening. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
"We always said the plant would open by 2010, which means there was some consideration to open late '09," said Mike Goss, Toyota's U.S. manufacturing spokesman, in the message. "We have now decided to open mid-'10 to coincide with a minor enhancement to Highlander." He concluded that the timetable is "in fact not a delay at all."
Toyota Executive Vice President Mitsuo Kinoshita told the Associated Press that the plant opening will be pushed back to mid-2010. The AP said the plant had been scheduled to open late next year or early in 2010. The wire service report commented: "Toyota is worried about the slowing U.S. economy, sluggish auto sales and the weak dollar."
What this means to you: Buried in all the controversy over semantics is official word that the Highlander is getting a freshening. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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