BUFFALO, W.Va. — What started as a shovel in the ground in Putnam County thirty years ago has boomed into a massive manufacturing plant.
Toyota West Virginia broke ground in Buffalo in 1996 and has expanded significantly over the following three decades. Toyota officials joined Gov. Patrick Morrisey and other state elected officials Thursday at the 267-acre property to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the company in the Mountain State. At the plant, workers manufacture engines, transmissions, and hybrid transaxles.
Current Toyota West Virginia President David Rosier attended the groundbreaking thirty years ago. At the time, he was working for another manufacturing company in the region. He went on to join Toyota, rise through the ranks, and make his way to become plant’s leader.
“We’ve invested $3.3 billion,” Rosier said. “We’ve expanded the plant 30 times. We’ve got over 2,000 hardworking, dedicated team members here. That doesn’t count the generations of people that came before them and have been able to retire. Honestly, it’s just a great way for us to stop, reflect back, and celebrate what we’ve accomplished.”
Morrisey said it’s impressive to see Toyota’s commitment. He said while the headlines oftentimes go to the latest economic investment, it’s important to remember what Toyota is doing for the community.
“One investment begot a second investment, a third investment, a fourth investment,” Morrisey said. “Toyota kept investing. Toyota kept growing. In fact, Toyota has expanded 11 times since first breaking ground in 1996. That’s pretty amazing.”
What sets West Virginia apart is its people, the governor said, and that’s what Toyota has learned firsthand.
“We have some incredible people here in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. “The West Virginians who are working here kept delivering for Toyota, time after time after time. I think this has been an incredible partnership.”
During the anniversary celebration on Thursday, Toyota unveiled $30,000 donations apiece to three local nonprofits. The organizations honored were the Golden Girl Group Home, a group home offering shelter to teenage girls who have suffered abuse; Mission West Virginia’s Bridge Program, which is designed to assist foster or kinship children in the transition from high school into skilled trades or technical schools; and The Comeback Club of Putnam County; which trains adults going back into the workforce.
Rosier said the donations showcase one of the values that Toyota wants to promote, respect for people. He said workforce development is a great way to do that.
“We think there is no more honorable way to demonstrate respect for people than investing in their development, in their future.” Rosier explained. “All three of these organizations have a strong focus on helping team members get into the workforce and develop the right skills so that they can be successful in their career. For that, we think it’s a great partnership to join with them and be able to make the donation to them.”
Putnam County Chamber of Commerce President Ashley Alford Glance said that these types of gifts are nothing new for Toyota; it’s what they’re about.
“They support nonprofit organizations,” Alford Glance said. “They support youth, they support workforce initiatives, everything, anytime we need any type of support for any community-based thing, Toyota’s always first up, ready to support how they can.”
It’s not just engines, transmissions, and transaxles at the plant. A biodiversity park has grown on the property, and there are even more efforts to assist the families of Toyota workers.
Del. Sarah Drennan, R-Putnam, told MetroNews that Toyota is willing to adjust to the needs of its employees.
“They’re building their on-site childcare facility that should be up and running in 2027,” Drennan said. “The fact that they have continued to invest in their employees, to be able to make it a little easier for them to come to work and know that their kids are going to be taken care of. It’s a huge factor that we’re seeing across the state and across the country actually.”
Longtime Toyota worker Gina Morrison came to the plant in its early days. She began working in Buffalo in 1999.
“When I came here, there was just open concrete floors that was before actually the line started,” Morrison remembered. “The first day here, they had me tear down an engine, and I had never done that before. That was overwhelming, but very enjoyable. Day two came, and two new employees came. I got to train them on how to tear down the engine the next day, so that was very interesting. That’s the Toyota way, that you share your experience and just keep training new employees.”
Morrison said Toyota has demonstrated, time and again, its care for workers. She has worked in production, machining, and now within the electric portion of the transmission motors.
“I was a single parent of a grandchild since about a year after I started here,” Morrison said. “That’s been wonderful to be able to have the time with her, and also to have the financial stability of a job that I knew that was going to be lasting. Even in the downturn, we never lost our employment, and were never laid off, and that’s a wonderful thing to have happened.”
Her granddaughter now serves in the Armed Forces.
State Senator Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, said the community has developed, thanks to Toyota and its billions of dollars invested.
“We have so many families that have grown their families because of careers they developed here,” Tarr said. “We’re also recognized worldwide because of the Toyota Motor manufacturing plant right here in Putnam County, and that’s how his investments happen, because they compete within Toyota, both nationally and globally, to be able to reinvest here.”
Drennan noted that several generations have prospered with employment from Toyota.
“Truly the generational opportunity for different families that have had multiple family members that have been able to stay here in West Virginia and have a great career,” Drennan said. “Not just a job here. They are, but you can truly bring families together to come to work.”
Tarr said this region is the place to be, as investments continue such as Nucor in Mason County, Google in Putnam County, and more. He said that so many communities are benefitting from companies’ interest in the Mountain State.
“It’s a fun time right now to be in this seat because you get to talk to so many Fortune 100s and 500s that are saying, ‘how do we get in West Virginia?'” Tarr said. “It’s a beautiful thing to see. Toyota was one of our really first in this area to come in and say, ‘hey, this is a place you need to be’ and one of the big things attracts them is our workforce.”
Alford Glance shared Tarr’s excitement for the region booming with investment. She noted that many counties thrive with Toyota’s operations.
“We have folks that drive in every day from outside of Putnam County to come here and work,” Alford Glance said. “The culture that they create here for their employees is just something that’s remarkable and that we’re really, really fortunate to have them, and to set that kind of example for what types of futures West Virginians can have.”
Drennan said all in all, it’s been a fantastic thirty years of Toyota West Virginia.
“We’re just excited to have them here, and they’ve been a huge, fantastic neighbor for West Virginia and Putnam County,” Drennan said.
Morrisey and Rosier both said the goal is for Toyota to continue its operations for an additional thirty years and beyond. The governor expressed hope that other companies investing in West Virginia will have the longevity that Toyota has enjoyed.
“We want people to come here, look at the quality of our workforce, see that those fundamentals are getting better and better,” Morrisey said. “We want companies to say, ‘can I have more? Let’s do a little bit more, let’s invest a little bit more, let’s continue to amplify the strength of our state.'”