Toyota Material Handling North America – TMHNA, the industry pioneer when it comes to forklift sales, formally opened a new manufacturing plant at the company’s Columbus, Bartholomew County, campus. The factory will focus on building electric forklifts for the Toyota as well as Raymond brands.
The site is 295,000 square feet, raising TMHNA’s total footprint in Columbus to 1.9 million square feet. The Columbus campus presently has over 2,100 employees, and the new plant will add 140 more jobs. The new plant is the company’s largest investment so as to expand its overall manufacturing footprint to $100 million. As Toyota Material Handling expands manufacturing, this strategic move prepares TMHNA to satisfy the anticipated demand for electric forklifts as the marketplace continues expanding over the next five years and beyond.
As per Brett Wood, President & CEO, TMHNA, Toyota Material Handling North America – TMHNA, “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 epicentre of electric forklift innovation for years to come.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for TMHNA was attended by leadership from Toyota Industries Corporation – TICO, customers, dealers, and suppliers, as well as federal, state, and city officials. The creative drive of the 100-year-old Toyota Industries Group was clearly apparent in the new Toyota factory on the Columbus campus, said TICO President Koichi Ito. Governor Mike Braun lauded the efforts made by the TMHNA to position Indiana as a pioneer in advanced manufacturing. Mary Ferdon, the Columbus mayor, signed a proclamation recognizing the positive impact TMHNA has made on the city over many years. Rep. Erin Houchin also echoed the impactful role of TMHNA in the community. The bulk of the ceremonial comments centred around the company’s success with its future-oriented strategy, as evidenced by the reality that it builds over 1 in every 3 forklifts that are sold in North America.
The new facility is a hub for collaboration between Toyota Material Handling North America subsidiaries and The Raymond Corporation, as well as Toyota Material Handling, Inc. The first product coming out of the factory is the electric Class 1 stand-up counterbalanced forklift, a redesigned product that has been manufactured at the TMHNA factory in Greene, NY, just recently. The move frees up space at the Greene factory to focus on more important products like reach trucks and order pickers, as well as automation, and the new factory in Columbus offers additional counterbalance forklift production capacity.
According to the chief supply officer, TMHNA Tony Miller, “This facility is the result of thinking beyond today. Years ago, we made the decision to invest in our future. Today, that investment is strengthening our manufacturing network, expanding our capacity, and positioning us to better serve our customers for years to come. It’s also an investment in our associates, this community, and the future of manufacturing in North America.”
As Toyota Material Handling expands manufacturing, it offers a mix of automation and human skill that is designed to be flexible to customer demands, including the ability to rapidly ramp up assembly lines if necessary. Sustainability is another thread running throughout the facility, from the zero-VOC – volatile organic compound powder coat process to a structure designed specifically for future rooftop solar power installation.
Most importantly, the new plant is a reflection of the ongoing commitment to safety. Associates work in a climate-controlled workplace with ergonomic assembly procedures, adaptable production lines, significantly quieter noise levels and interconnected flow by using Toyota’s manufacturing execution system. Facility staff will track operational performance, quality and productivity utilizing real-time information.
Construction of the factory began in June 2024, and manufacturing began in July 2026.