Jan 20, 2012

Toyota marks 3 million vehicles at Indiana plant

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY Updated 8h 53m ago

It's hard to imagine a single auto plant turning out 3 million vehicles, but Toyota's plant in Princeton, Indiana, managed to accomplish the task.

The southwestern Indiana factory marked the 3-millionth vehicle in a ceremony Tuesday -- a silver Sienna minivan, the Evansville Courier & Press reports via the Associated Press. The plant began making Tundra pickups in 1998.

"It's a tribute to everyone's hard work," said Norm Bafunno, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana.

Reaching the goal was made a little easier by the popularity of the Sienna. It was the top-selling minivan in the U.S. in 2011, the first time the vehicle had achieved that mark.

The milestone is also a big deal because the plant had to slow down production last year because of a parts shortages caused by the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March and last fall's flooding in Thailand.

The plant, now operating on maximum overtime, is the region's largest employer, with 4,100 workers and an annual payroll of $288 million.

In November, the Princeton plant began exporting Siennas to South Korea. The plant also exports Sequoia sport utility vehicles to the Middle East, and makes the Highlander SUV.

Toyota marks 3 million vehicles at Indiana plant