“Indiana’s manufacturing sector is stronger than ever before thanks to companies like Toyota Material Handling North America that continue to invest in innovation, in our communities and in our workforce,” said Gov. Braun. “The company has invested more than $600 million in its Columbus campus since opening in 1990, and the impact TMHNA has had on this community and the region’s economy cannot be overstated. We look forward to the new career opportunities this investment will create and to our continued partnership in advancing manufacturing innovation, jobs and wages across Indiana.”
TMHNA’s new factory is one of the largest investments the company has made in North America to increase its overall manufacturing footprint since opening in 1990. The 295,000-square-foot facility increases the company’s total footprint in Columbus to 1.89 million square feet. The factory, which is dedicated to producing electric forklifts for The Raymond Corporation and Toyota Material Handling, positions the company to meet forecasted market demand for electric forklifts by 2030.
“In 2023, 66% of all lift trucks sold in North America were electric powered, and currently the market is approximately 70% electric. The electric forklift demand is likely to reach 80% before 2035, and our new factory is poised to address this electrification trend,” said TMHNA President & CEO Brett Wood. “The factory is symbolic of our continued ambition to lead the material handling industry with forward-thinking strategic initiatives. It has been rewarding to see the collaboration over the last two years of the Toyota team, suppliers and city and state representatives to make our Columbus campus the epicenter of electric forklift innovation for years to come.”
Gov. Braun and Wood were joined at the event by Koichi Ito, president of Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), THMNA’s parent company based in Japan; Yochiro Yamazaki, president of Toyota Material Handling Solutions Company; Columbus Mayor Mary Ferdon; Congresswoman Erin Houchin; Congressman Jefferson Shreve; as well as government and industry leaders representing TMNHA’s partners and customers, the state, the city and the Indiana-Japan partnership.
TMHNA’s latest expansion paves the way for new job creation, adding to its team of more than 2,100 in Columbus and more than 3,400 total across Indiana with additional operations in Carmel, East Chicago, Franklin, Lebanon and North Vernon. The company has invested more than $600 million in its Columbus headquarters and manufacturing operations and has produced more than 900,000 forklifts in Indiana since opening in Bartholomew County in 1990, putting Hoosiers at the center of critical manufacturing and supply chain operations.