Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. is investing $170 million and adding 400 jobs at its Mississippi assembly plant.

The company said Thursday it will retool the Blue Springs plant to make its next-generation Corolla sedan and expand capacity. Spokeswoman Kathryn Ragsdale says the company is moving some Corolla production from the Canadian province of Ontario to Mississippi.

Toyota now can make 170,000 vehicles yearly at the northeast Mississippi plant. Ragsdale couldn't say by how much capacity would increase.

The spending brings Toyota's total investment in Mississippi to $1.16 billion. State officials say the Japanese automaker will get incentives including property tax breaks and rebates on worker income taxes.

The factory, with 2,000 workers now, began production in 2011.

New assembly workers make about $31,000 yearly, with pay rising as high as $53,000.