Toyota Breaks Ground on R&D Facility Near Ann Arbor

http://www.cpnonline.com/cpn/specialties/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003120547

BEAUTIFUL.......................... :D


Toyota Technical Center, a research division of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, has broken ground on an expansion of its Michigan R&D facility (pictured). The development will be an engineering design facility on 700 acres in York Township, near Ann Arbor, Mich.

Ultimately, plans for the structure will call for 350,000 square feet of space representing a $150 million investment on Toyota's part by 2010. Its first phase, which started today, will be 180,000 square feet costing about $37 million.


BELOW is the BEST part........................


The development is a plum for a state that has seen economic distress with the slumping of Big Three auto sales recently. "It re-enforces southeastern Michigan as the brain center for the auto industry in North America, if not the world," John Carroll Jr., executive director of the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership, told CPN this afternoon.



Just ............... TRES BEACOUP ...................... :D ............ :cool:

BELOW is the BEST part........................


Toyota aside, the Big 3's ills killing Michigan (read: U.S.) jobs is the BEST part?

Question: would it kill you to see GM, Ford, AND Toyota healthy and doing well? Your hatred for the Big 3 is so well documented, sadly, I think it would. :(

I'm glad the R&D center is here. Michigan needs jobs, and it doesn't matter where they come from.

Z28Wilson -

You know I have owned vehicles from all the big 3 in my car\truck buying time...and you know all were garbage, the issues weren't all large ones, but they refused to fix them regardless....how you think I felt being 20 buying a new GM and getting jerked around from the dealership and having no car for 3 months while the dealership takes there time fixing it or more so deciding if they will fix it? Or having a Ford truck crack the block 6 kilometers from the dealership with 13 KM's on the truck? I hope they all get what they deserve, I find people that still accept there products have a lower standard of what a quality vehicle is, and to be honest I don't care how far they come I will never give them another of my heard earned dollars. I know that all the foriegn cars have not all been steller, but they handled me with respect and we always came to ammicable agreements......

Reading posts here from from people that have had trouble with Toyota dealerships in the US, also makes me cringe....so I could imagine the way the domestic dealerships were\are in the US. I state this because in Canada, domestic dealers are still stupid enough to treat the customer bad, while import delaerships (most) treat you as humen....but this has only been my experiance.

Toyota aside, the Big 3's ills killing Michigan (read: U.S.) jobs is the BEST part?

Question: would it kill you to see GM, Ford, AND Toyota healthy and doing well? Your hatred for the Big 3 is so well documented, sadly, I think it would. :(

I'm glad the R&D center is here. Michigan needs jobs, and it doesn't matter where they come from.


Don't start with me Wilson.

I mentioned that part to show how Michigan economy is being helped.

If you don't like me or don't like to hear Toyota news, don't talk to me or don't reply to my TOYOTA posts.

It is not my problem but only yours, if I have put something positive for Toyota here. If you want to see GM and Ford news, you know where to look for those and if you want to find them here, then you know "who" the people are that can give you that high that you need.

Don't nobody DARE tell me that I can't put positive Toyota news on a Toyota board.

LIVE WITH TOYOTA SUCCESS. IT IS HERE TO STAY.

I only said what I said in reference to the people in the state of Michigan. If the best part is that the new R&D center is supplying jobs in a hurting state, I would agree. If the best part is that the Big 3 are down (as was implied).....that is where I take issue.

C'mon man, I am not attacking positive Toyota news. Positive Toyota news in Michigan is positive Michigan news as well...I think it's rediculous that the politicians in this state either can't or don't want to chase foreign automakers for assembly plants or more centers like this. :disappoin

Great for Toyota.

BMW is investing some big $$$ in Greenville over the past decade or so. Theres an assembly plant right here in G-ville for the Z roadsters? (I'm not "up" on BMW's I think that's what is built there?) Anyway they are building a research park here in G-ville in coorperation with my college alma mater, Clemson University.

http://www.bmwusfactory.com/media_center/releases/release.asp?intReleaseNum=129

It's great to see foreign companies invest on US soil, but at the same time the competition is forcing domestic companies to go overseas to cut costs to be competitive. Not just in the auto industry. There's no simple answer to anything, but the more vehicles toyota has sold, the more US and Canadian plants and employees companies like GM have had to close and layoff. It's a fine line. GM isn't laying off employees and closing plants because they want to, it's because they are losing there market share. The foreign companies are not building/investing on US soil at the same rate that US companies are having to shut down/move overseas. Toyota gets too big they may see some backlash similar to companies like Wal-Mart and Sears in the '80's.

This is just my opinions people. I like GM. I like toyota. I own both. I am simply open minded and try to look at the big picture. Like I said, good for Toyota.

^^^^Going along with what you said we (myself included) have to face the fact that this is becoming a global economy, not just American dominance, sure we still have the largest economy but China is gaining ground as well as others, this isn't the 1950's where post war America came out on top to be the worlds largest military, political, and economical power, not to say we're not anymore just that there are new economies emerging and with the internet and global networking its not just "homegrown" any more, which globilization can be a challenge for the population of any country, politically, economically and even socially...sorry not to get off topic too much.:D
:thumbup:

If America controls oil in the middleast, it can control the world better. But to do that Iraq has to stablize and US has to get better control on it. India and China are on their way up and could be a big threat to the United States... World history has shown that not one power stayed on top forever... which is scary..

But for many, Toyota is the biggest threat to the US economy... :lol:


SilveradoTacoma........ Your comment about more plants closing down not evenly replaced by foreign manufacturers...................

All the jobs lost at the domestic manufactures in the past decade and half have been replaced by the foreign manufacturers.... To my knowledge it has been played evenly. Toyota has not only emplyed thousands directly in USA but indirectly a lot of domestic manufacturers have benefited by Toyota. Toyota also has enough money that is able to spend on different causes in the United States. You have to remember that Toyota is very conscious about the domestic backlash and makes sure it stays very involved in humanitarian, educational and developmental causes in the United States.

Ofcourse, there will always be people UNHAPPY with the Toyota way... but that is life.

All the jobs lost at the domestic manufactures in the past decade and half have been replaced by the foreign manufacturers....

ALL the jobs? I'd LOVE to see your research and statistics on that.....

Every time one of the Big 3 closes a plant and lays off hundreds, if not thousands, of workers, some may find work at Honda or Toyota, but those companies are not building new factories as quickly as people are losing jobs. Maybe one day the curve will balance out.

ALL the jobs? Huh? I'd LOVE to see your research and statistics on that.....
I'd have to agree. Sorry RAV4EVR, but based on all the news reels/articles/press reports I've seen or read in the past 10 years or so dealing with GM, Ford and Dodge plants in the US and Canada closing and the HUNDREDS of thousands of UAW and other autoworkers in detroit and across the country who have been laid off, I'd have to say "imports" have nowhere near built enough infrastructre in the US to come anywhere near close to the number of US jobs lost. GM alone is closing something like 9 plants in the US and Canada over the next couple years.

Here's an example:

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. will eliminate 30,000 jobs and close nine North American assembly, stamping and powertrain plants by 2008 as part of an effort to get production in line with demand and position the world’s biggest automaker to start making money again after absorbing nearly $4 billion in losses so far this year. The announcement Monday by Rick Wagoner, GM’s chairman and CEO, represents 5,000 more job cuts than the 25,000 that the automaker had previously indicated it planned to cut. United Auto Workers union leaders called the cuts “extremely disappointing, unfair and unfortunate.”
The 30,000 job cuts represent about 9 percent of GM’s global work force of about 325,000 people.



And this is only recently. Many other GM plants have closed in the past decade (assembly AND parts suppliers.) That doesn't even include Ford and dodge. I belive ford has announced similar cuts and closings, if not worse :rolleyes:

I can't even buy US made parts for my '67 anymore. They all come from China.

Our economy is heavily dependent on the service industy, the construction industry, and the auto industry. If even one falters for a while, we have a recession.

You're right in stating that people Fear Toyota is bad for our economy, they just might trun out to be right?

I do apluad toyota though, they are MORE than welcome to keep building plants here! (the more the better)


If you can prove your theory, I'll believe you, but until then, to me, the balance is WAY off.

Like I said, I'm pro GM and Toyota. I even like some Mopars. Aside from the mustang I have no interest in Fords, I like a few nissan products, and even honda has a couple good looking cars. If at all possible, I'd love to see all our mfgs do well for once :)

People help me understand something....one day Toyota decided that it will sell it's cars in North America and that they will put the domestic manufacturers out of business???? Are you people for real!!!!! The domestics are losing market share becase they allowed it, how? but making crap...people go to other manufacturers when they are not happy with what they bought or how they have been treated.....so I am supposed to be supportive of the big 3 and still buy there product? F&ck'm, they never supported me when I owned one of there vehicles. If the American manufacturers had a chace to gain ground on a business that has been dominated by foriegn companies do you think they wouldn't do it???? They would and tell everyone what they did...loudly. The domestics, made mistakes, and are now paying for it. Case closed. If Toyota experiances a back lash, it will only be in the US, it's an American pride thing more than a jobs thing.

RAV4EVR - "If America controls oil in the middleast, it can control the world better."

What makes you think that the world wants to be controlled by America? How typically American.....

^^^Yeah but Bush needs the oil for his ranch:lol: :lol:

Sorry I couldn't resist.:thumbup:

ECHOKnight2000, that's actually quite funny....:lol: :lol: , thanks I needed a good morning laugh.

Trekie2: It's not just that they "made crap" and in recent years they have proven that they no longer make "just crap." It also has to do with Unions, contracts, retirements, health benefits, blah blah blah, things toyota and other mfg's never had to worry about. I believe at one point GM had something like 3K per car in overhead costs more than Toyota. And Toyota and the other foreign mfgs have been experiencing huge sales surges since when, about 1 year and a half ago? Right about when fuel went to $3 per gallon? The "foreign" mfgs have built mostly fuel effiecint cars and done well at it. The "big 3" have always made good trucks and SUVs. If fuel had never jumped in price, this may be a whole different conversation.

I hope the "foreign" guys keep building here. Gm is turning around somewhat, and will even be reopening their Oshwa plant for the Camaro.

I like it when people build things, it gives me, as a civil engineer, a job :D

SILVERadoTACOMA, I agree about the added costs that GM or domestic manufacturers had incured that the imports did not have to deal with BUT who did this...me and you? No it was the domestics manufacturer themselves, they controlled there destiny and thought when negoticating contracts that they were unstopable...this during a time when most would not look to imports as an option. During these skyrocketting costs they also producted bad vehicles...how many 5 year old or greater Cavaliers\Escorts you see on the road, ya I know that is only one model, heard that argument before. Then during all that they treated the customers poorly. I have said it before, people that accept there products\services as good have a lower standard then others -

Remeber just because you like something that doesn't mean it's good.

What really kills me is the people that defend them, when I am sure they have had or have had family members that have been jerked around by them over the simplest things. I picked up my Ford truck, it cracked the block clear in half...with 13 KM's on it and they asked me what I did to it....I am sure the salesman didn't even make it back into the showroom before this happened. It took me 4 months to get the truck back, it was scratched, dirty and never ran well again. I sold it and have maintained that I will do everthing in my power to inform people of what happened and how I was treated....they did this not me, I just bought a product and was poorly treated.

What makes you think that the world wants to be controlled by America? How typically American.....


^^:lol:

It is not about what the world wants.... Since when??

It is about what we want.... LOL !!!!

Relax dude... I am just kidding.. .!

RAV4EVR - I thought you were joking, and far from me to let an opportunity like that pass me by....:naughty: :lol: