Toyota holding groundbreaking this morning for new plant

Gov. Eric Holcomb and other dignitaries will be in Bartholomew County today as Toyota Material Handling break ground on a major expansion.

The company will be holding the ceremony this 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 across the road from its existing location that would start production in June of 2026 adding 85 jobs here initially.

The expansion will allow the company to meet growing demand for its products, especially electrical forklifts.

Company executives told city officials earlier this year that the company has four manufacturing sites in North America, and evaluated all of them for the project, but would prefer to grow here.

Toyota has nearly 2,100 workers in Columbus and produced its first forklift here in 1989.

Earlier this year, Columbus officials approved the rezoning of the property from agricultural to industrial use and annexed it into the city limits.