OREANDA-NEWS. For the first time, a Lexus vehicle will be produced in the United States. The Lexus ES 350 will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) in 2015, Toyota announced.

The move will generate 750 new jobs. To support the new dedicated assembly line, Toyota will invest USD 360 million in the Georgetown plant.

About 50,000 Lexus vehicles a year will be produced, bringing the plant’s total annual production capacity to more than 550,000 vehicles. It will be the first time the ES will be assembled outside of Japan.

Production of the ES 350 at the Georgetown plant is the latest step in Toyota’s continuing strategy to assemble vehicles in the markets where its customers live. Over the past 17 months, the company has announced plans to increase production capacity at its plants in Mississippi, Indiana, West Virginia and Canada, reflecting a cumulative investment of approximately \\$2 billion that has created more than 4,000 new jobs.  Toyota also recently announced executive changes designed to provide regional managers with more local control and a streamlined decision-making structure to help the company deliver superior customer-focused products and services.

Established in January 1986, TMMK is Toyota’s largest manufacturing facility outside of Japan, employing approximately 6,600 people. The plant currently assembles the Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Venza and manufactures 4-cylinder and V6 engines. It has earned 10 Initial Quality Plant Awards from J.D. Power and Associates, including four gold J.D. Power Awards.

In 2012, the plant produced the 25 millionth Toyota vehicle built in North America.  Toyota recently committed to boosting production capacity for the 4-cylinder engine at the plant by more than 100,000 units. This \\$30 million project will create about 80 new jobs.

The ES is Lexus’s bestselling sedan, with approximately 58,850 vehicles sold in North America in 2012 -- including 56,158 in the U.S.  Projections for Toyota’s production volume at the company’s Kyushu plant in Japan have not changed. The company remains committed to building 3 million vehicles per year in Japan, including Lexus models, as previously announced.

Toyoda and Lentz made the Lexus ES 350 production announcement at a press conference prior to a major New York City event showcasing Lexus’s commitment to groundbreaking design and its redoubled focus on creating a global luxury brand experience.