Further localization of content in Russia will see the addition of stamping and resin-molding processes to production during 2014, as the strong Yen continues to hurt all Japanese automakers.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Russia will start two-shift operations in September of this year. Toyota’s vehicle production subsidiary in Russia has already hired 600 new workers, and Toyota forecasts that the number of plant employees will have reached about 1,750 when two-shift operations begin. In total, plant output will increase to 50,000 vehicles annually.
Production of the new Toyota Camry began at TMMR in November 2011. Camry sales increased 66% year-on-year in Q1 of 2012, while sales of Toyota vehicles in the Russian market increased by 22% to 32,859 units during the same period.
Further localization of content in Russia will see the addition of stamping and resin-molding processes to production during 2014 as the strong Yen continues to hurt all Japanese automakers. The Russian market after a stunning collapse during the great Recession looks to be one that will now continue to grow.
“Starting two-shift operations is a significant event for our plant. Our employees’ commitment to Toyota principles in quality has resulted in us gaining Russian consumer trust and high evaluations for our Camry, said TMMR President Yoshinori Matsunaga.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
