Toyota Material Handling to build $100 million factory for electric forklifts

Material handling solution provider Toyota Material Handling on Wednesday began a nearly $100 million expansion to its Columbus, Indiana, headquarters, breaking ground on a new factory which will be used for electric forklift production. 

The company – which first began building forklifts in Columbus in 1990 – said the 295,000 square-foot manufacturing facility will start producing vehicles in June 2026. It will use cutting-edge manufacturing processes to produce electric products much more quickly than it can today, while continuing to meet its high quality standards.

Including the newest project, Toyota has completed more than 15 total expansions in Indiana over 34 years, with over $400 million in total investments. When the new factory is complete, Toyota’s Columbus footprint will grow to nearly 1.8 million square feet – more than six times larger than the 280,000 square-foot facility it opened in 1990. 

“Electric forklifts make up 65% of the North American market and this trend towards electrification in the material handling industry will continue to grow,” Brett Wood, President & CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America and Senior Executive Officer for Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), said in a release. “We hope this announcement shows our industry-leading dealer network and our customers that we are a proactive company, not a reactive one. We do not just plan for next week or next year – we’re preparing for the next decade, and this new initiative perfectly represents our commitment to that strategy."