In a meeting with Tokai Rika Chairman Yoshihei Iida and President Kiyoshi Kinoshita in Nagoya, Japan, they announced that the company will invest $50 million to expand its operations in Battle Creek, Jackson, and Plymouth, creating 230 new jobs by 2009.
          
Tokai Rika’s plan to invest and grow in Michigan is great news for the entire state, and particularly for the communities of Battle Creek, Jackson, and Plymouth.  This announcement underscores once more that Michigan is the epicenter of North American automotive research, design, and manufacturing.
          
One of the vital member companies of Toyota Motor Company group, Tokai Rika is engaged in the manufacturing, sales, and research and development of switches, locks and keys, seatbelts, and other auto-related products.  In Michigan, the company employs more than 1,100 people at three facilities:  TRAM, Inc. in Plymouth which is the holding company for selling products and also houses a testing facility; TAC Mfg, Inc. in Jackson which manufactures steering wheels, air bags, and shift levers; and TRMI, Inc. in Battle Creek which manufactures automotive switches.  Click here to read more.