April 9, 2007

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Michigan Economic Development Corporation President James C. Epolito today announced that Toyota Boshoku America will expand its Technical Center in Novi, Michigan.

"Continued commitment and investments by companies like Toyota Boshoku are important as we maintain our efforts to diversify our economy and create jobs here in Michigan," Granholm said. "Toyota Boshoku's expansion, and the expansion of the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor last year, along with new investments here by General Motors and Ford, will help grow and ensure our status as the automotive capital of the world and the global leader in automotive research and development."

Toyota Boshoku is a supplier of interior parts for automakers such as Toyota and General Motors. It started its Michigan operations in 2001, with a small office in Ann Arbor, and has rapidly expanded its Michigan operations since that time. In January, the company purchased a new building in the Novi Corporate Campus to house its growing Technical Center, which will eventually occupy 70,000 square feet of office space. The company currently employs 140 in Michigan, and projects that its Michigan workforce will grow to over 200 by 2010, with most of the new hires made up of engineers and professional staff.

"We are very proud to announce this expansion in Michigan," said Sunao Yamamoto, President of TBA. "Toyota Boshoku plans to expand its presence and sales in the Americas. The expansion of our Michigan Technical Center will strengthen our engineering and technical functions so that we can better serve our growing customer base here."

"Toyota Boshoku is a major supplier to the global auto industry, and we are pleased by the news of their expansion in Michigan," Epolito said. "This follows nicely from Toyota's expansion of its Technical Center in Ann Arbor last year. Toyota Boshoku is one of several

Toyota Group Companies that have expanded their Michigan operations over the past several years, and we welcome the new jobs that these expansions bring to our state."

Toyota Boshoku America and its affiliated and joint venture companies operate 19 manufacturing plants that employ over 5800 people in Americas. Its parent company in Japan, Toyota Boshoku Corporation, traces its origins to the first Toyota company founded by Sakichi Toyoda in 1918. Sakichi's son, Kiichiro, later founded the Toyota Motor Corporation. For the fiscal year ending March 2006, Toyota Boshoku had worldwide sales of $7.4 billion.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a partnership between the state and local communities, provides smart economic growth by developing strategies and providing services to create and retain good jobs and a high quality of life.