| After Toyota has overtaken Daimler-Chrysler in 2006 | | | | But Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokeswoman for the |
| and took over the third spot in the leader board that | | | | Tennessee Department of Environment and |
| lists the biggest auto sellers in the US, it posted a | | | | Conservation, stated that the industrial site in |
| strong start in the 2007 year which puts them on a | | | | Chattanooga has never been categorized as a |
| spot which took them to the second spot from Ford | | | | brownfield. She further added that some cleanup job |
| Motor Company this year. Indeed, the Japanese car | | | | was done to the site to remove limited areas of |
| maker seems like one of their cars pushing ahead with | | | | contamination. The site is now clean enough that it |
| no intention to engage the brakes and they are moving | | | | reaches residential standards, she said. In fact, the site |
| quite fast ahead. | | | | is insured if anything is found there, Hamilton County |
| In connection with this, the biggest Japanese car | | | | Mayor Claude Ramsey stated. |
| maker is planning to build another plant in the US. But | | | | Toyota meanwhile said through Sieger that they have |
| where it will be put up is still uncertain to date. | | | | located their previously built plants on greenfield |
| The planned plant will provide 2,000 jobs aside from | | | | locations. Greenfields are actually sites that are either |
| the 10,000 jobs that the plant will indirectly provide and | | | | agricultural or undeveloped. He added that while they |
| it is one of the reasons why the site for the new plant | | | | look at the fact that a site is a greenfield or a |
| is generating much interest from different areas which | | | | brownfield, it is not an absolute prerequisite for a |
| are eager to have a plant built on their place. But | | | | decision on the side of the company. But in no way is |
| Toyota is still keeping the plans under cover. The most | | | | this an assurance to Chattanooga that a plant will be |
| revealing answer from Toyota comes from the | | | | located on their turf since auto companies prefer |
| company's spokesman, Dan Sieger, who said that "we | | | | greenfield sites because there is usually but not always |
| are actively looking at sites". The Wall Street Journal | | | | adequate space nearby for suppliers. This is what |
| though cited Chattanooga, Tenn.; Marion, Ark.; Alamo, | | | | Steven Szalasky, an economist working at the Center |
| Tenn.; and Davidson, N.C. as possible sites for the | | | | for Automotive Research, said. |
| Toyota plant. | | | | Toyota is joining the bandwagon of Japanese car |
| As of now Chattanooga still would not comment on | | | | makers that are building plants in the Southeastern part |
| the possible building of a Toyota plant but they already | | | | of the United States since the labor costs in the said |
| have a 1,600-acre industrial site ready for use. The | | | | area is relatively lower than other parts of the country. |
| industrial site is once a part of a former Army TNT | | | | In fact, Tennessee is working hard to attract |
| plant. Thus, it is labeled as a "brownfield" which means | | | | carmakers to put up plants in the state which would |
| a redeveloped former industrial site. And experts see | | | | not only help the company save on labor costs but will |
| that it would work against Chattanooga since no | | | | also help the city in the sense that new jobs will be up |
| Japanese car maker has built a plant on a location | | | | for grabs. An example of the commitment of |
| such as that. In fact, Michael Randle, the editor and | | | | Tennessee to attract car manufacturers to the area is |
| publisher of Southern Business and Development | | | | the recent move by Nissan Motor Co. to relocate its |
| magazine guesses that Toyota would locate their plant | | | | North American headquarters to Nashville which was |
| in Marion, Ark. instead. | | | | located previously in California. |