Toyota Invests $45 Million in W. Virginia Plant Expansion

Toyota is planning a $45 million expansion of its plant in Buffalo, WV that is expected to create 80 jobs. The Japanese automaker said the expansion will increase the Buffalo plant’s annual production capacity of 6-speed automatic transmissions from about 400,000 to 520,000.

Work on the expansion is expected to begin in November and be finished by July 2013. It will increase the plant’s work force to about 1,200 employees. The transmissions are produced by Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc. for the Avalon, Camry, Lexus RX350, Sienna and Venza.

Toyota says Bodine Aluminum plans to expand its plant in Troy, Mo., to provide transmission cases and housing parts to the Buffalo plant. That expansion will create about 25 jobs.