LIBERTY,
N.C., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota today
announced the team that will launch its newest plant in
North America, Toyota Battery
Manufacturing, North Carolina
(TBMNC). The plant represents a $1.29
billion investment and will be the first to produce
lithium-ion batteries for Toyota in North
America.
Meet Sean Suggs,
President
Suggs will be responsible for all
manufacturing and administration functions, reporting to
Norm Bafunno, senior vice president, Unit
Manufacturing and Engineering, Toyota Motor North America
(TMNA).
Under his leadership, TBMNC will employ 1,750 and house
four production lines capable of delivering enough lithium-ion
batteries for 200,000 vehicles each year beginning in 2025. Suggs
will also manage facility expansion to at least six production
lines with the capacity to produce batteries for up to 1.2 million
vehicles a year.
Suggs began his Toyota career in 1998 as a team leader at Toyota
Indiana after proudly serving in the
United States Army for eight years. He has held several
subsequent roles including serving as president of Toyota's
Mississippi plant and most
recently as TMNA's group vice president and chief social innovation
officer.
Meet Don Stewart, Vice
President of Manufacturing
Stewart will provide
oversight for all areas of battery manufacturing including
engineering, maintenance and production. In addition to his role as
vice president, Stewart will serve as the plant operations
lead.
Stewart joined Toyota in 1997 as a maintenance group leader at
Toyota West Virginia and has since held several leadership roles.
He most recently served as TMNA's vice president of Production
Engineering overseeing the powertrain division across Toyota's
North American operations.
Meet April Mason, General
Manager of Plant Services
Mason will provide oversight
for production control, facilities and local business planning, as
well as coordinate with various regional functional teams related
to Toyota's battery business.
Mason joined Toyota in 1994 as a team member relations
representative at Toyota Kentucky. In 2005, she transitioned to
TMNA Human Resources and has held several organizational roles,
most recently serving as the general manager of Administration for
Toyota Alabama.
Meet Emily Wilemon-Holland,
Manager of Corporate Communications
Holland will be
responsible for establishing Toyota's presence in the Piedmont
Triad region, managing ongoing media, community and local
government relations. She will also support Toyota Racing
Development (TRD) located in Salisbury, North Carolina. TRD is
the company's in-house tuning shop responsible both for improving
streetcar performance and supporting Toyota's racing interests
around the world.
Holland comes from Toyota Mississippi where she led corporate
communications for more than a decade.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of
the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is
committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility
through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500
dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 39,000 people in the U.S.
who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of
nearly 32 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants.
By 2025, Toyota's 10th plant in North
Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for
electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road
than any other automaker, a quarter of the company's 2021 U.S.
sales were electrified.
To help inspire the next generation for a career in
STEM-based fields, including
mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at
www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and
chance to virtually visit many of our U.S. manufacturing
facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through
Toyota USA Foundation partners,
virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota,
visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Toyota North Carolina Contact
Emily
Wilemon-Holland
662-507-5148
emily.holland@toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America