This week a major employer in Kentucky is beginning to ramp back up it’s manufacturing operation. The Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant is home to more than 8000 workers.
Coronavirus concerns brought a halt to production of camry, avalon, lexus, and RAV 4 vehicles on March 20th. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky President Susan Elkington said the seven week shutdown is the longest down time ever at the Georgetown plant. Even with such a large workforce, Elkington noted there are individual teams over nine million square feet under roof. “Our goal is the exposure you have is within your team and actually we have restrictions for people to be able to go from one shop to another. You can’t enter into another shop just because I want to,” said Elkington
Elkington said team leaders at first and then all other employees this week will be learning the new protocol. She said it will be Wednesday before auto production begins and it will be a deliberate ramp up with the emphasis on health safety. Elkington noted the pace will be very deliberate. “The first week we’ll probably be at 50% and then we’ll gradually go up, returning back to maybe a full eight hours of production by the end of June and then really not do our normal like production volume until maybe we get into the third or maybe fourth quarter of this year,” said Elkington.
While a very difficult economy could certainly reduce vehicle demand, Elkington said the Georgetown plant’s been down for almost two months and it will be a slow ramp up. She said sales were off 55% in April compared to a year ago, but that was better than the predicted 70% mark.
Susan Elkington provides more insight into preparations for restarting Toyota's Scott County Operation:
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