It may be obvious by now that I’m a fan of Toyotas.  In my opinion, they can’t be beaten for rock solid reliability, they seem to suit my size and driving habits, and I like the style lines of Toyotas.  All that for a rational price.  So when I was told by a friend that the largest Toyota factory outside of Japan was located in Georgetown, Kentucky, I had to go take a look.

Cameras are not allowed on the tour, so unfortunately I can’t actually show you much except the visitor center.  We were shown a brief movie, and given a brief introduction by our tour guide, then divided into groups of 16 to be taken to our trollies.  Unlike the Ford factory tour that I took in Detroit, where we travelled at our own pace on a raised walkway around the factory floor, at Toyota we were taken in these trollies right out into the middle of the operation, traveling up and down the production line on the factory floor!  Everyone was given a headset so that we could listen to our tour guide as we went along.

Although I don’t remember all of what I learned there, there are a few things that stood out for me:

• The vehicles produced in this factory are the Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, and in a separate section, the Lexus ES350.  All vehicles produced there are presold.
• The factory went into production in 1988, and an engine manufacturing plant was added in 1990.  Many plastic parts are also made in the on-site plastics shop.
• There are two Toyota production lines, and one Lexus line.
• Sheet steel is brought in in rolls of varying widths.  All the steel comes from American sources.
• The steel is cut and then stamped into shape using larges dies, then the body is assembled and the doors are bolted on before the car is sent to the paint shop.
• After painting, the doors are removed and sent down a line elevated above the chassis line for fitting out, then returned to the same cars further down the line.
• While most of the stamping and welding is done by machine, the majority of the assembly seemed to be done by hand.
• Workers in the factory work three different jobs during the day, for two hours each, with breaks between jobs.  They start at about 6:30am and end at 3:30pm, unless they need to work overtime to complete an order.
• Workers are empowered to fix problems or errors as they see them, without sending the car back through the assembly line to where the error occurred.
• The factory works on the principle of Kaizen, a Japanese word meaning continuous improvement.  All workers are asked to look for ways to improve their working environment and the processes of the factory.  When a suggestion is adopted and produces a savings for the company, a portion of that savings is returned to the worker making the suggestion.
• The workers I saw seemed relaxed and cheerful, and engaged in their work.
• The factory works on a just-in-time inventory system, so that parts are produced and brought to the assembly line as they’re required, reducing the overhead of keeping a large inventory.
• There are inspection stations at several points along the production line.
• The Toyota lines have an annual capacity of 550,000 vehicles, and the engine shop has an annual capacity of 600,000 engines.  The Lexus line started in 2015, and produces 50,000 vehicles per year.
• I saw a health care center, a cafeteria, a training center, and many safety practices in use in the factory.  I understand that there’s also a gym somewhere.
• The first Camry to roll off the production line in 1988 is kept in the visitor center.  It has an odometer reading of 90 miles, mainly from moving it around the center, and the doors are kept locked to retain the “new car smell” that is apparently still present, and to keep the vehicle as near mint condition as possible.

According to Wikipedia: “TMMK was designated as a “zero landfill facility” in 2005. The designation means that all of the waste produced on-site is either recycled or reused and nothing is sent to landfills. …

The grounds also sports a very large vegetable garden. In 2005, the produce produced at TMMK helped a nearby charitable organization, God’s Pantry, distribute 2.5 million pounds (1100 t) of produce, exceeding its yearly goal by 2 million pounds (930 t). The garden also produces a full crop of pumpkins used at the Toyota Child Development Center for carving at Halloween, and corn which enhances the compost pile.”

The location of this plant in eastern Kentucky, and it’s continued growth, has had a significant impact on the economy and job market in the local area.

I wish I could have taken some pictures on the production floor, but perhaps it wouldn’t have looked like much in photos.  It was a great tour, though, and I’d like to go back again, as I think I’d probably see things that I missed the first time.  I wouldn’t mind taking home a souvenir either…