Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America’s Bodine Aluminum Inc. reported November 9 it produced its first cast aluminum engine blocks at its new operation in Jackson, TN. By 2007, the Jackson plant will represent an investment of $164 million and cast about 1 million engine blocks per year, as well as 270,000 aluminum transmission cases and housings.

The V6 engine blocks now in production at Jackson will be supplied to Toyota's engine plant in Kentucky. The engines are installed in Toyota Camry and Avalon sedans also made in Kentucky.

Bodine, based in St. Louis, has been a Toyota subsidiary since 1990. Its plants in Troy and St. Louis, MO, produce aluminum cylinder heads, aluminum cylinder blocks and other aluminum castings for most of Toyota's North American-produced vehicles.

Toyota has 11 vehicle manufacturing and parts facilities in North America, and is building new vehicle plants in San Antonio, TX, and Woodstock, ON. By 2008, Toyota it expects to be building 1.81 million cars and trucks, 1.44 million engines, and 600,000 automatic transmissions in North America.