By Theodore Opara

Toyota Motor Corporation’s new investment in its Technical Centre, in Michigan will intensify the company’s engineering, product development and procurement capabilities. Toyota invested $126 million in its Technical Centre near Ann Arbor, Michigan United States to achieve its goal of maining the lead in the industry.

The expansion includes a new prototype facility for vehicle development, additions to the powertrain development facility and a supply centre. The construction is expected to wrap up in late next year.

The renovations at the Ann Arbor Toyota Technical Centre,  announced in December 2014, are part of the automaker’s push to  consolidate its North American r&d  and establish a new North American headquarters in Plano, Texas.

Manufacturing, sales and marketing and corporate functions will be housed in Texas, while Michigan will become the hub for product development.

The automaker is relocating about 300 engineering employees from Kentucky and California as part of the Technical Centre expansion.

Toyota’s North American CEO Jim Lentz, North American Vice President Simon Nagata and Technical Centre President Seiya Nakao attended the groundbreaking event.

“The expansion of this campus is a key element of Toyota’s ongoing unification of our North American operations, which includes a new headquarters in Plano, Texas,” Lentz said at the event.

“Investments here in Michigan will intensify Toyota’s engineering, product development and procurement capabilities. The impact of this will be felt by our customers through improved quality, adoption of new technologies and greater value of the vehicles we produce.”