Toyota Celebrates 30 Years In The Mountain State

Thirty years ago, a global car maker broke ground in a small, historic West Virginia community. Today, Toyota West Virginia employs more than 2,000 people at its plant in the town of Buffalo.  

“This is a time to celebrate our history and look toward our next chapter,” David Rosier, president of Toyota West Virginia, said. “Our success is a direct result of our team members. Our future is bright because our team is smart, capable and determined. We are proud to say we are busier than ever.” 

Since that first day back in 1996, the company has expanded 11 times, investing more than $3.3 billion into the state’s economy, he said. 

Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared Sept. 24, 2026 to be “Toyota West Virginia Day.” He also pointed to other large companies like Google, Nscale and Fronteras, that have also chosen to locate in West Virginia. 

“We wanna keep that up and we’re having conversations every day as to how we can attract even more people to come here to increase the number of electricians, of sheet metal workers, of plumbers, who come to our state, who stay in our state,” Morrisey said. “Toyota has continued to invest, grow, and create opportunities in the Mountain State, and we’re proud to celebrate 30 years of partnership and an even brighter future ahead.” 

As part of the anniversary celebration, Toyota donated a total of $90,000 to three local nonprofits:  

• Golden Girl Group Home, a group home for teenage girls who have experienced abuse, neglect or loss of a guardian and cannot live in their natural home 

• Mission West Virginia’s Bridge Program, which supports children in foster or kinship care as they graduate from high school and pursue skilled trades or attend technical school 

• The Comeback Club of Putnam County, which provides training for adults re-entering the workforce