Officials celebrate upcoming Toyota expansion in Walesboro

Gov. Eric Holcomb joined Toyota Material Handling executives and employees celebrating the ground breaking of a new Columbus plant yesterday.

Company executives said that the new plant will focus on electric forklifts and that last year, about 65 percent of the forklift market had turned to electric products. Tony Miller, Senior Vice President of Operations, Engineering & Strategic Planning explained the importance to the company.

Miller explained that the company looked at all of its North American locations to find the best place for an expansion.

Holcomb said that Indiana prides itself on being the Crossroads of America, providing businesses the transportation infrastructure and other tools that companies need to grow.

The company held the ceremony yesterday morning at the 65-acre site across the road from its existing Walesboro location along Deaver Road. The company is planning a nearly $100 million expansion. The company plans to add a 295,000 square foot plant that would start production in June of 2026 adding 85 jobs here initially.