Bloomberg: Toyota to Close California NUMMI Plant in July
Bloomberg is quoting “two people familiar with the plan” (now it’s three) that Toyota’s pulling the plug on their joint venture with Old GM. “The company will negotiate the timing of the closing with Motors Liquidation Co., an entity responsible for the disposal of the assets GM shed in bankruptcy, said the people yesterday. They declined to be identified because the information wasn’t public.” But but but . . . it IS public. You know; now. Anyway, three days ago, ToMoCo was angling for government “assistance” and union “flexibility,” telling the world that it hadn’t made a decision on whether or not to terminate the project once and for all. Toyota’s North American chief executive Yoshimi Inaba said the decision “depended on possible aid from California lawmakers, labor contracts for the factory’s union workers that expire in August and NUMMI’s financial viability.” As Toyota is not known for, uh, lying, I reckon the jury is still out.
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I don't know about the plant, but as a non-truck guy I wish the Tacoma would go back to a sensible size. I saw a 4-door Tacoma long bed that would dwarf a late-80s (even early 90s) F-150. My god.
Actually, I don't know how somebody can make a living with a blue collar job in the San Francisco Bay Area... but they will probably send the production to Mexico and San Antonio.
I would have expected Mitsubishi to bow out of the American market before Toyota closed the California plant, but, I was wrong. Wow.
Tacoma's will be built in the Texas Plant that currently builds the Tundra. Nummi or what ever they will call it will continue to operate small sections of the Plant. Mainly the Stamping Department. Management is currently Training on operating these press line.