Mike Wolanin | The Republic A sign marks the site where Toyota Material Handling’s new electric forklift plant expansion will be located at Toyota Material Handling North America in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
It’s been a bumpy ride, the ride toward adoption of electric vehicles in the United States, but at least one exception stands apart — forklifts. And that’s great news for one of our region’s largest employers and for the area as a whole.
With a ceremonial groundbreaking last week, Gov. Eric Holcomb joined local officials and those from Toyota Material Handling in expanding on already groundbreaking technology that has transformed industry and warehousing.
As The Republic’s Brad Davis reported, “Toyota Material Handling Senior Vice President of Operations, Engineering and Strategic Planning Tony Miller has said in city meetings leading up to the groundbreaking that electric forklifts currently make up 65% of the North American market, and with the new facility, company officials hope that share grows to 80% by 2030.”
In order to meet that goal, TMH is investing nearly $100 million to build a new 295,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, enlarging the footprint of its Columbus operations that began 35 years ago. The expansion will create 85 jobs at an average wage of $28.88 and retain 1,883 current workers, Davis reported. The new employees are expected to be hired by 2026, with the hope being that production at the new facility begins in June 2026, according to TMH.
The Republic’s editorial space has celebrated Toyota Material Handling’s track record of successes on many occasions because the company has proven to be an exemplary corporate citizen and market leader. This latest development furthers Toyota’s longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with the Columbus area.
But this latest development is also an intersection where heavy-duty manufacturing meets cutting-edge technology, not unlike the dynamics we see at Cummins Inc. and other major companies headquartered here or with significant operations in the area.
Toyota Material Handling is meeting the evolving demands as the market for forklifts moves swiftly toward electrification. That makes plain sense for a lot of reasons, not least of which are efficiency and the elimination of emissions from forklifts in enclosed spaces.
“At Toyota, we will always be driven by what is best for our customers. Electric products are more popular than ever, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to keep up with increased demand. This new factory will allow us to deliver those electric units to customers faster than we can today,” Miller said.
“We’re so grateful to see Toyota continuing to invest heavily in southern Indiana,” Holcomb said. “Toyota’s been a cherished partner and career cultivator to the state for the last 35 years, and we look forward to strengthening our bond even more in the decades to come in and around the Columbus region.”
Toyota, the global market leader in forklift production, has driven a shift toward electrification for those vehicles that by any metric is transformational.
Compare the 65% market share for electric forklifts to electric cars, which account for only about 7.6% of the total US vehicle market in 2023, according to Cox Automotive Inc.
Bottom line, Toyota Material Handling’s ongoing market leadership and commitment to our area is a success story that’s — pun intended — uplifting.
