Desperate for work amid recall, Miss. town awaits Toyota plant delayed by slow car sales

Desperate for work, Miss. town awaits Toyota plant

BLUE SPRINGS, Miss. — Terry McShan enrolled in a college automotive program when Toyota announced in 2007 it would build a plant in Mississippi, envisioning a job and a better life when the plant started production in 2010.

Now, the economy has tanked, Toyota has recalled millions of cars and McShan will graduate with no immediate prospects for a Toyota job in Mississippi.

Toyota won’t start production until the economy improves.

Company executive Dave Copenhaver says the recent Toyota recalls won’t further delay the plant’s opening.

But when Toyota decides market conditions are better, it could be 18 months before production begins in Mississippi.