Kia and Toyota Announce New US Plants

[vbfl85]

Toyota plans to open a plant in Indiana that makes Camrys. Kia plans to open its first US plant in Georgia. It looks like Ark has been overlooked again.

Kia Link

Can't find a link for the Toyota story, I heard it from CNN.

[Aporkalypse]

I talked to someone from AEDC once and was told the major impedance with Arkansas getting an auto plant was lack of water. I thought this was bizarre but he said that because of this Central and NW Arkansas/Ft Smith were out and only West Memphis/Marion were sites that could be considered. I always thought of Arkansas as having ample, cheap water and remember a few years ago when Dallas was trying to buy water from us, but this was what I was told.

[sleepy]

I know there's an aquifer that underlies East Arkansas that's pumped for the rice fields. The Memphis paper did a story a year or so ago that said that the aquifer was being pumped dry.

[Mith242]

I talked to someone from AEDC once and was told the major impedance with Arkansas getting an auto plant was lack of water. I thought this was bizarre but he said that because of this Central and NW Arkansas/Ft Smith were out and only West Memphis/Marion were sites that could be considered. I always thought of Arkansas as having ample, cheap water and remember a few years ago when Dallas was trying to buy water from us, but this was what I was told.

Hmmm...are we talking about waterways to bring in and move out supplies on barges or actually water consumption at the plant?

[Aporkalypse]

Hmmm...are we talking about waterways to bring in and move out supplies on barges or actually water consumption at the plant?

The latter. Rail and interstate access are optimal at the Marion/West Memphis sites and pretty decent in Little Rock as well. Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Memphis have river access but I'm not sure this is important for auto production or San Antonio wouldn't have landed a plant.

[Rural King]

Toyota plans to open a plant in Indiana that makes Camrys. Kia plans to open its first US plant in Georgia. It looks like Ark has been overlooked again.

Kia Link

Can't find a link for the Toyota story, I heard it from CNN.

I think the Toyota story you mention is the hybrid line that Toyota is going to open in an exisiting Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana, via a deal worked out with Subaru. Subaru basically had shut down a line due to low demand and had excess facility space and now Toyota is goint to take up the slack in that facility. Interesting deal IMO.

[Mith242]

I've been reading more news about Toyota putting in another assembly plant in the US. Although Toyota won't confirm it, some believe the potential sites include the states of Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

[vbfl85]

The way Toyota is growing it seems that they would have the capacity to put plants in all four states. The US auto industry better watch out.

[thewizard16]

I don't have any official confirmation, but I have heard from reliable sources that Toyota sent people to look at some locations in a few areas of northern arkansas. This may have been before the water realization, I have no idea, all I know is that at least at one time, there was an interest.

[Mith242]

Rumors from a Japanese newspaper doesn't look good for Arkansas. Rumors are that a future Toyota plant will also locate in Texas. I haven't heard if it would be around San Antionio like the other one or in another part of the state. Toyota denies this but it sounds like this newspaper reported that their previous plant was going to San Antonio before it was officially announced. But I think Toyota has mentioned before in the past that they'd like to place their plants in areas to help increase sales of their vehicles in that area. I guess Arkansas really isn't big enough to impress anyone in that area. Not when you can go to a big state like Texas.

[Clobber]

Rumors from a Japanese newspaper doesn't look good for Arkansas. Rumors are that a future Toyota plant will also locate in Texas. I haven't heard if it would be around San Antionio like the other one or in another part of the state. Toyota denies this but it sounds like this newspaper reported that their previous plant was going to San Antonio before it was officially announced. But I think Toyota has mentioned before in the past that they'd like to place their plants in areas to help increase sales of their vehicles in that area. I guess Arkansas really isn't big enough to impress anyone in that area. Not when you can go to a big state like Texas.

There are rumors they may expand production in S.A. That's unfortunate. I really want E Ark to land one of these prizes.

[Mith242]

There are rumors they may expand production in S.A. That's unfortunate. I really want E Ark to land one of these prizes.

Yeah it would have been a nice benefit to not only Arkansas but for the Memphis metro as well. We've got some smaller type auto plants moving in. I suppose we still might manage to bring in something else eventually. But I don't know if it will be anything big like Toyota.

[Clobber]

Yeah it would have been a nice benefit to not only Arkansas but for the Memphis metro as well. We've got some smaller type auto plants moving in. I suppose we still might manage to bring in something else eventually. But I don't know if it will be anything big like Toyota.

I think it's only a matter of time. And I haven't heard anything confirmed in SA. It might depend on the kind of vehicle.