As Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. begin to scour the U.S. in search of a location for the first new auto assembly plant announced since President Donald Trump took power, one state looks like a front-runner: Mississippi.
The Magnolia State is already home to a Corolla factory that's been producing the compact car for almost six years. Toyota and Mazda plan to open a $1.6 billion new facility to produce that model, plus a Mazda crossover, starting in 2021.
Hanging in the balance for states vying for the factory are 4,000 jobs that the two Japanese automakers expect to create through their joint investment. Locating the plant near Toyota's existing manufacturing site in Blue Springs would enable the two to source parts from companies nearby that supply components for the Corolla. A head start on a supplier network would be particularly attractive for Mazda, which doesn't yet have a U.S. plant.