Toyota boosting auto production in St. Petersburg with 2nd work shift
MOSCOW. Sept 3 (Interfax) - LLC Toyota Motor Manufacturing Russia (TMMR), Toyota Motor Corporation's outfit in St. Petersburg, is laying on a second work shift Monday that will result in doubled production.
"The plant is on September 3 launching a second work shift, we'll be increasing production two-fold," the managing director for legal and administrative issues, public relations, and personnel for Toyota Motor in Russia, Yury Geidorf, has told Interfax.
Launching a second shift will make it possible for the company to bring the Russian factory to production capacity of 50,000 automobiles per year.
Commenting on the possibility the range of models built there might be expanded, Geidorf said, "The decision has not yet been made. Traditionally, we do not comment on company plans before they become confirmed decisions."
The Japanese company's plans include increasing Toyota model auto sales by 25% this year to more than 149,000 vehicles and Lexus modes 20% to 16,000 to 17,000, Geidorf said. Plans call for doing so with an expansion of logistics routes for delivering vehicles to Russia, particularly by rail. "Theoretically, we're looking at bringing machines from Vladivostok via the Trans-Siberian to other regions in the Russian Federation," he said.
TMMR produced 14,131 Toyota Camrys last year.
The company is getting ready to open two production shops: for pressure-forming and for producing plastic details. This new capacity will be launched in 2014, and total investment will run to 2.7 billion rubles. The two new shops will increase production localization at the enterprise to 30% from today's 15%.
TMMR built 11,275 vehicles in the first half of 2012, 40% more year-on-year.
The Toyota plant is located in the Shushary industrial zone outside St. Petersburg and opened for business in late December 2007. Investment in the facility amounted to 6.8 billion rubles. It now builds twelve versions of the Camry powered by 2, 2.5, and 3.5-liter engines.
