An update from A. Lee Graham lgraham@bizpress.net
PLANO — Toyota Motor North America Inc. unveiled renderings of its future Plano campus on Wednesday, offering the world a glimpse of the 2.1-million-square-foot North American headquarters planned to open in 2017 along Legacy Drive, just south of State Highway 121.
“Welcome to the unveiling of Toyota’s future North American headquarters,” said CEO Jim Lentz.
Huddled within a modest test, Lentz told reporters and other media representatives that the company is emphasizing not only innovative products and an environmentally sustainable campus with native Texas plants and rooftop solar panels, but also customer needs.
“Our mission is to achieve long-term sustainable growth while listening closely to what our customers need,” said Lentz.
The company’s move from the Los Angeles community of Torrance comes amid rising demand for autos.
Toyota kicked off this year celebrating a 15.6 percent increase in demand in January compared with the same period last year.
It plans to maintain and exceed that momentum with a campus boasting seven buildings, up to five stories tall, surrounding a central plaza offering dining, fitness and conferencing capabilities.
“Our work with some of the best designers, builders, architects — along with important input from our own team members — has inspired our thinking around how our new facilities can support and enhance the One Toyota experience,” said Lentz.
The executive referred to the company’s decision to consolidate Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., Toyota Financial Services, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. and Toyota Motor North America in Plano.
About 5,000 employees are expected to work at the facility. How many employees will relocate to Texas will be known by year’s end, Lentz said.
Meanwhile, the company also used the Wednesday press event to kick off its Ever-Better Expedition, in which groups of Toyota engineers and other company associates will drive a convoy of Toyota vehicles across the nation to experience the bumps and byways driven by their customers every day.
Toyota officials plan to incorporate their road experiences in future product development.
Toyota’s slogan is “Let’s Go Places” and the company is, to Plano. On Tuesday the company released a teaser image of the company’s new headquarters in Plano. They will unveil more at a press event on Wednesday.
The video shows a rendering of the $300 million facility, a rectangle-shaped multi-story building draped in a sheet.
The new headquarters facility, located on a 100-acre site near Legacy Business Park, in underway and expected to be finished in the first quarter of 2017. Toyota plans to consolidate sevreal major divisions, including sales, marketing, engineering, finance and corporate services, in Plano. The company says it may have up to 5,000 employees at the site.
Dallas-based developer KDC Real Estate Development & Investments will build the new headquarters while Dallas-based Corgan will be lead architect for its new North American headquarters campus.
To view the video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fGAwuaDFio