Toyota Impact on suppliers

VINCENNES, IND. (WTHI) - Toyota's plans to expand in southern Indiana is a positive sign for the Wabash Valley.

The company has announced it will invest $400-million into its Princeton plant and add 400 workers to build a hybrid version of the Highlander.

The project is expected to provide even more opportunities to supplier companies for the automotive giant.

Toyota's plans to invest in their plant in Princeton and add jobs at the plant was certainly good news in Gibson County, but it was also welcomed by business leaders in other parts of the Wabash Valley.

"What's good for Toyota is good for FIA which is right in our backdoor," said Marc McNeece with the Knox County Chamber of Commerce. "It's right here in Knox County in our industrial park and they employ close to 800 people already."

FIA is one of dozens of companies doing business with Toyota in the Wabash Valley.

Right now no one knows what the exact effect of the Toyota expansion is going to be on the FIA supplier plant or others throughout the Wabash Valley.

What we do know is this.

When you add 400 high paying jobs to your area economy it's going to produce a lot of good things.

"They pay property taxes and they buy at the the restaurants and gas stations," said McNeece. "Those jobs are essential to making our economy work."

Those jobs also require training.

Toyota is already talking with technical students at Vincennes University about internships.

With other companies looking for trained workers the expansion is turning into a big positive for students.

"They are very much knocking on our door," said V.U. Professor of Advanced Manufacturing Tim Bauer. "We could probably place all of our students 3 times over just in the precision manufacturing department alone."

So as Toyota gears up for additional Highlander production in 2013 the impact is expected to hit most everywhere in the Wabash Valley.

Toyota says it intends to begin hiring its new workers late this summer.