As Toyota nears first major hiring phase for NC plant, it says more people interested in working there than at any of its U.S. plants

Toyota committed to the Liberty site in December 2021 with a pledge of having at least 2,100 employees at full production, ranking it among the largest economic-development recruitment projects in North Carolina history.

Production is expected to begin in 2025 at what will be 2 million square feet of space within three buildings. Toyota has pledged a $3.8 billion capital investment in the operations.

Two 500,000-square-foot buildings are dedicated to hybrid electric vehicle battery production, while a 1 million-square-foot building will be focused on electric vehicle battery production.

“The first building has been walled in, and the walls for the second building are being erected,” Toyota North Carolina communications manager Emily Wilemon-Holland said Monday. “The pad for the third building is currently being prepared for construction.”

The Liberty plant is an example of Toyota “building things locally where they are sold,” said Norm Bafunno, senior vice president of Unit Manufacturing and Engineering at Toyota Motor North America. “It’s not a 100% alignment, but we try to get as close as we can in our (production) footprint in the United States. We’re going to have to keep up with the North American consumer, and that begins in North Carolina.”

Sean Suggs has been hired as president of the North Carolina unit, along with Don Stewart as vice president of manufacturing in charge of plant operations and April Mason as general manager of plant services.

Also being hired currently are supervisors and facility maintenance technicians.

Toyota said it plans to start hiring production and maintenance positions in mid-2023. To apply for open positions, go to www.toyota.com/careers.

There are plans for in-person applicant assessment and interview locations in Asheboro and Greensboro through NCWorks locations.

In October, Toyota North Carolina signed a nearly three-year sublease for a former five-story Labcorp office building at 1701 Pinecroft Road in Greensboro that will serve as its operational hub until its electric vehicle battery production plant debuts.

Wilemon-Holland said each floor of the Greensboro temporary facility will have a distinct operational focus.

Floor 1 would handle “key parts of hiring assessment, including: intake and registration, waiting area and assessment using a computer-based simulation; skilled trades with computer lab with a hands-on skills evaluation; and face-to-face interviews and medical screenings.

Floor 2 would provide a “dojo” training area emphasizing key points of manufacturing, including safety, quality and internal logistics.

Floors 3-5 would contain administrative and support staff offices, and space for teams to collaborate.

Background

The Toyota subsidiary plans to build lithium-ion batteries at the plant for about 200,000 hybrid and electric vehicles annually.

Toyota plans to roll out 30 battery electric vehicle models by 2030.

“This is only the beginning of what I considered as a long and bright future for the plant and marks another significant milestone for our company,” Bafunno said. “This plant will serve a central role in Toyota’s leadership toward a fully electrified future and will help us meet our goal of carbon neutrality in our vehicles and global operations by 2035.”

As with the Dell Inc., Caterpillar Inc. and Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. manufacturing plants, Toyota is finding significant internal interest from employees willing to transfer to work at the Liberty plant.

“The reason I say North Carolina and Liberty is a great location for doing business is that we have a lot of internal interest in people wanting to work in North Carolina — higher than any other plant that we’ve announced or opened in the U.S.,” Bafunno said.

He said some Toyota employees want to return to North Carolina because they are graduates of N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill or other North Carolina universities.

“They haven’t really had a chance within Toyota to do that until now,” Bafunno said. “It’s an indication of the quality of life, the access to the mountains and ocean, and it’s a beautiful area.”

Bafunno said some Liberty plant workers could come from as far as 70 miles away, but the bulk of hires will come from within 30 to 40 miles.

“It’s a personal decision of what potential employees determine is right for them in terms of driving to the plant,” Bafunno said.

“We’re working very hard to create what we consider to be an employer of choice in that area of North Carolina. There’s going to be great wages, great benefits, job security — great elements for a career.”