Toyota marks groundbreaking of new plant
NORMAN DE BONO, SUN MEDIA
WOODSTOCK -- A morning freight train let out a long blast of its horn, stopping dead the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Toyota supplier plant.
Not missing a beat, emcee Ali Tharia, assistant vice-president and general manager of Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc., for which the groundbreaking was being held, quipped, "We had a sign put up saying 'Honk if you love Toyota.' "
There is no doubt there is love for Toyota in this community, and that love grew a little yesterday with the official construction start of three new plants, all under Toyota Tsusho, its first in Canada, which will employ about 50 people.
"These are world-class innovators, they are second to none," gushed Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding. "We are honoured (they) have chosen Woodstock for their first Canadian plant."
The three are:
- Toyota Tsusho Canada Inc., a logistics and warehousing industry which will ship parts from Ontario suppliers to assembly plants across North America. It will employ about 10.
- Maple Automotive, which will put wheels and rims together for the RAV4 to be made at Woodstock's new $1.1 billion Toyota assembly plant to open in 2008. It will employ about 30.
- Green Metals Inc., a metal recycling plant which will recycle metal from the new Toyota plant. It will employ about 10.
Green Metal was lauded at the ceremony for its environmentally friendly metal recycling process will see it "hermetically sealed" so no waste gets in or out, said Harding.
"Waste is a loss and they treat it as such, they see it as throwing away profits," said Harding. "This is a small, humble plant with a few employees, but their long-term impact will be important."
Even the labourers strike could not dampen the optimism at the groundbreaking, as construction on the three new plants has not yet been delayed since other workers can work around the impasse, said Tharia.
"We are watching it closely and at this point we are on schedule and hopefully, we should be fine," he said.
[ 2007-06-09 ]
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