Toyota Material Handling expansion focuses on electric truck production

Toyota Material Handling has announced an expansion to its Columbus, Ind., headquarters, which will be used for the production of electric trucks.

The company – which first began building forklifts in Columbus in 1990 – is investing nearly $100 million for a new 295,000 square-foot manufacturing facility dedicated to producing electric products.

“We are excited about this significant strategic expansion to our Columbus campus,” said Tony Miller, Toyota Material Handling senior vice-president of engineering, operations and strategic planning. “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.

Toyota Material Handling has invested an additional $100 million in a new factory to underscore its 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.

“Electric forklifts make up 65 per cent of the North American market and this trend toward electrification in the material handling industry will continue to grow,” said Brett Wood, president and 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.”

Including the newest project, Toyota has completed more than 15 total expansions in 34 years, with over $400 million in total investments. When the new factory is complete, Toyota’s Columbus footprint will grow to nearly 1.8 million square feet – more than six times larger than the 280,000 square-foot facility it opened in 1990.