Backyard Adventures

24 Pike Publishing BACKYARD ADVENTURES 2014 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, located just south of Princeton, is the economic backbone of Gibson County. The auto manufacturer employs thousands and donates hundreds of thousands to organizations around the county, including schools and charities. At the Toyota Visitors Center, anyone can see the history of the Toyota Corporation, tour the plant, and learn how Toyota vehicles are made. The first exhibit in the Visitors Center is not some- thing you'd expect—a fabric loom. However, before the Toyota Corporation existed, its founder, Sakichi Toyoda, invented a loom after watching his mother work with fabric, and he used the money from his invention to start making cars. "Toyota traces its roots to a loom—a machine used for producing cloth," the Toyota Visitors Center website says. "Your visit will include a look at the Toyoda family and its role in helping a struggling Japanese textile industry meet the challenges of the day. Plus, you'll discover how a small Japanese loom company became a worldwide automotive manufacturer." Tour groups are treated to a demonstration of the Visitors Center's own Toyoda loom, which still operates and is one of only two of its kind outside Japan. The Visitors Center also has a classic Toyota vehicle on display, which changes every few years. Right now, guests can see a shining 1967 Toyota Corona. And just above that display is the centerpiece of the Visitors Center: a 2008 Toyota Tundra disassembled into 180 individual parts and suspended from the ceiling. This exhibit took months to put up, and shows just how much work and thought goes into making a vehicle. It doesn't include absolutely every piece that goes into a Tundra, but more than enough to produce a powerful effect. The Tundra was born in the Princeton TMMI plant, but is now produced in Texas. In addition to these exhibits, the Visitors Center features many interactive displays showing the history, philosophy, and manufacturing processes of Toyota. After seeing the Visitors Center, guests are invited to take a plant tour, which includes a guided journey through Toyota's Body Weld and Assembly shops. To sign up for a plant tour, visit tourtoyotaindiana.com. displaying our history and TECHNOLOGY STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALDEN HEURING Main photo: The Suspended Coalescing Toyota Tundra hangs from the ceiling of the Toyota Visitors Center, located between Princeton and Fort Branch on u.S. Hwy. 41. Above: Ed Jamison demonstrates the Toyota loom to a tour group at the Visitors Center. Right: Half of a Toyota Tundra hangs on the second-floor wall of the Visitors Center. T O Y O T A V I S I T O R S C E N T E R

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