Toyota Motor Manufacturing France (TMMF) will start 3-shift operations in June 2014 to meet increasing demand for the Yaris supermini. Originally built to operate on two shifts, the Valenciennes plant will add a third shift, with 500 additional staff to be recruited.
The new employees will bring total employment to 4,000. The success of Yaris sales, particularly Yaris Hybrid, have resulted in a revised 2014 production plan, meaning the plant will build 15 percent more cars. Toyota estimates it will assemble 220,000 units at its French plant this year.
Until the third shift is in place, Toyota said some Saturday production is planned to meet demand. “Sales forecasts have led us to increase production plans by around 15 percent for 2014, for a total production volume of around 220,000 units,” confirmed Koreatsu Aoki, President of TMMF.
The additional manpower will be recruited as temporary staff while employees from the two day shifts will also be able to move to staff up the third night shift on a voluntary basis.
“TMMF will produce close to 1100 Yaris per day on three shifts versus 840 on two shifts today,” said Luciano Biondo, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing. “This new organisation demonstrates the success of the ‘Made-in-France’ Yaris on a very competitive segment,” he added.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing France had operated on three shifts in the past, in 2004 and then from 2006 to 2010 and again in 2012.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
