COLUMBUS — Toyota has built forklifts in Columbus for more than 30 years. It is preparing to build a lot more with a new addition to its complex.
Toyota Material Handling broke ground on a $100 million, 295,000 square-foot expansion across the street from its headquarters on Wednesday. The new facility will solely manufacture electric forklifts.
"This is not a short term play, this is a long term solution looking at our 10-year industry forecast and sales forecast," said Toyota Material Handling senior vice president Tony Miller.
Miller estimates 65% of forklifts sold in North America are now electric-powered.
Toyota plans to open the expansion in June 2026 and add 85 new jobs with an average wage of $28.80 per hour.
Gov. Eric Holcomb attended the groundbreaking and said he is impressed by the new jobs coming to Columbus.
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"These are good careers that matter to families," Holcomb said. "That's how you address brain drain, that's how you build up communities at a foundational level. These are not just jobs, but career opportunities for all."
The factory is a source of pride for Columbus Recycling Center director Heather Siesel because the facility uses a Toyota forklift to handle cardboard.
"We use it every day," Siesel said. "We appreciate having something that's made here right in town."
Siesel said the forklifts help give Columbus a reputation as a city where quality machines are built.
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"We wish more things were made here," Siesel said. "It's great to have partnerships with Toyota and Cummins for local materials, and we do appreciate that."
Toyota has built nearly 900,000 forklifts in Columbus since the material handling facility opened in 1990.
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