FIRST CAR PRODUCED AT TOYOTA'S NEW KENTUCKY PLANT

Toyota City―Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (TMM), TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION'S recently established U.S. manufacturing subsidiary, today celebrated the completion of its first car, a Camry 4-door sedan, at the company's new production facility in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Plant construction and employee training have been underway since last year, and preparation for the start-up of full-scale production is proceeding smoothly.

Today's roll-off of the first Camry marks the start of pilot production, during which time TMM will focus on further employee training and assuring product quality. Full-scale, one-shift operations are scheduled to start in July, with production increasing to 400 units a day toward the beginning of next year. Production will further expand to 800 units a day when next year's full-scale, two-shift operations begin.

To date, TMM employs some 1,100 people, about 90% of whom are Kentucky residents. The company plans to hire 1,900 more for full-scale production scheduled to begin in the fall of 1989, and 500 more for a new power train plant. At full operation the total number of employees is slated to reach 3,500.

At present, 25 TMM employees are in Japan for a month of site leader training. They are the eighth group to take part in the program which started in July of last year. Already 268 employees, including this current group, have studied the Toyota production system, job-site management roles and other subjects at Toyota's Tsutsumi Plant in Toyota City.