HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Ostensibly, the folks at Mazda North American Operations brought us to Alabama to celebrate the one millionth vehicle off the line at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) facility. But in addition to a tour of the plant, we got a tour of how committed Mazda is to the community.
Mazda Toyota Manufacturing celebrates 1 millionth vehicle
They call it MTM
The whole situation down in Alabama is unique, from the joint collaboration between Mazda and Toyota, to the MTM employees embedded in community schools. And it all speaks to the philosophy of “kaizen” or continuous improvement. Both Mazda and Toyota are working together in this one plant to build better processes, better cars, better employees, and better communities.
And in just 5 years, it seems to be working. But, let’s get a little background.
The Mazda Toyota Partnership
The groundbreaking for the MTM facility in the Huntsville area dates back to 2018. MTM marks Mazda’s first dedicated vehicle assembly footprint in the U.S. since 2012, when Mazda had a joint venture with Ford building cars in Flat Rock, Michigan. Mazda partnered specifically with Toyota because it wanted to learn about North American manufacturing from an automaker that’s been there, done that. Toyota currently has 14 plants in North America, with 11 of those being in the U.S. So, what does Toyota get out of this? In addition to kaizen, it gets to learn from an outside automaker to improve its own processes as well as strengthen its North American production structure. Oh, and it gets to use Mazda’s dazzling Soul Red paint. Both automakers then benefit from the efficiency of a shared supply base from on-site partners.
This plant currently builds the Toyota Corolla Cross and the Mazda CX-50, producing 1,200 cars a day. It employs 4,500 team members with an additional 3,000 on-site or near-site partners. Plant capacity is currently at about 300,000 vehicles per year, with the vehicles split evenly between Toyota and Mazda.
The property surrounding the 3.7 million square feet of plant space is vast, which means there’s potential for future expansion. Though, of course, execs on hand wouldn’t talk about future product that could be built there or plans for more lines.
MTM not Mazda or Toyota
Even though the Mazda and Toyota vehicles are assembled on different lines, it was clear throughout the tour that the employees weren’t Team Mazda or Team Toyota. They all wear gear that says MTM, and the color of their MTM hats delineate management level status. Employees are cross trained on both vehicles and can switch lines through production needs or promotions.
They don’t even call it the “Toyota line” or the “Mazda line.” Instead, it’s the Apollo line or the Discovery line. And at the end of the day, all the vehicles end up in the same area and board the same train to be shipped to their final destinations.
The other thing I noticed: The employees are just so darn happy. We got several waves from people on the line and plenty of smiles all around. I’m sure some of that was mugging for the camera, but even after the tour, when cameras were put away, I heard more than one “welcome” comment delivered with more smiles.
It starts with the 6th grade
Another thing that became clear during our time with Mazda, MTM wants to start the pipeline to industry jobs early. Like 6th grade early. One of the programs the MTM Grant Fund supports is FUSE, which is a choice-based, student-led program that helps initiate interest in STEM. We visited a classroom at Chapman Middle School, where the students were engaged in group and individual projects that ranged from building a model car out of things like paper and straws that can withstand “crash testing” with an egg in the passenger seat, to creating 3D models and then printing them out on an in-class, grant-funded 3D printer.
The hope is that they will get their creativity and interest sparked enough to continue on in a STEM field, which could lead the way back to a job at MTM six to 10 years later.
Moving on to high school, MTM launched the LIGHT (Leading Industry Growth by Helping Teachers) program at A. P. Brewer High School, which actually embeds an MTM employee in the classroom to share technical knowledge, workplace simulation, and real-world skills with the teachers and the students. The program currently operates in two Huntsville-area high schools, and the MTM employee divides her time between both.
During our visit to Brewer, we witnessed students “clocking in” to class and learned about the various programs in the classroom that provide soft skills to the students like creating resumes, learning to interview, being a good employee, and managing personal finances.
The last piece of the educational initiative we got a glimpse of was the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program that partners students with industry while taking classes at community colleges. This application-based program is open to first-time and returning students, and it is not an exclusive MTM partnership. FAME is an earn as you learn program, and MTM has had 141 students enter the program since 2019 with a 95% placement rate at MTM in the last two years.
Since 2018, MTM has made more than $4.4 million in community donations, including more than $1.3 million from the MTM Grant Fund.
One million cars at MTM in 5 years
On October 28, 2026, MTM rolled its one millionth vehicle off the line. They were expectedly cagey about which vehicle was 1,000,000 and which was 1,000,001, stating they were “neck and neck” off the line. So, MTM had two vehicles on the stage for the presentation, both donning Soul Crystal Red paint.
The first vehicle off the line in 2021, however, was a Toyota Corolla Cross, and the first Mazda CX-50 went off the line a year later. Similarly, the Corolla Cross Hybrid started off the line in 2023, and the CX-50 Hybrid followed a year later.
Throughout its five-year lifespan, MTM has a total combined investment of $2.3 billion, split evenly between Toyota and Mazda. Additionally, MTM has had more than $1.4 billion in payroll impact since the start of production.
CG Says:
MTM’s commitment to workforce development is impressive. In addition to the in-school programs previously mentioned, MTM offers leadership training through its own LEAD Academy, will pay for a two-year degree through the FAME program at one of three area community colleges, and provides up to $3,000 per year to go to childcare costs through a partnership with TOOTRiS.
Over and over again, throughout our time in Huntsville, the following message was provided on repeat: “We’re not just building cars, we’re building people.” After touring the schools and the plant as well as talking to the students and employees, the difference MTM is making in the community is clear. No wonder all the employees seem so darn happy.
Full disclosure: Mazda North American Operations paid for our air fare and accommodations, providing behind-the-scenes access at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing facility.
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