Ohio University leadership visit Toyota West Virginia

Toyota West Virginia hosted several members of the Ohio University leadership team on May 14. This was the first time OHIO’s leadership had visited the plant, which is one of the largest employers in the tri-state region and a significant economic driver for both the Ohio River counties of southeastern Ohio and western West Virginia.

“This was significant milestone,” noted Greg Simmons, vice president of University Advancement and president of the Ohio University Foundation. “We hope this initial meeting is the first step in a long-term partnership.”

The $3.3 billion facility employs approximately 2,077 team members under a nearly two million square foot facility. Located in Buffalo, WV, it is Toyota’s only combined engine, transmission and transaxle plant in North America. Additionally, it is the only Toyota manufacturing plant in North America to produce hybrid transaxles. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the West Virginia facility.

“It was great to have Ohio University make it down for a visit,” commented Jim Perry, manager of Quality Assurance at the plant and coordinator of the visit. “These relationships are incredibly important to keeping the pipelines of communication and recruiting open in our region.”

The plant is the closest Toyota facility to Ohio University, which has several dozen alumni scattered across the company’s many locations in North America, with Buffalo, West Virgina and Plano, Texas being the most prominent. Toyota West Virginia actively engages with the University through both OHIO career fairs and internship programs. Toyota managers have also served on Russ College of Engineering and Technology’s Advisory Boards. 

“OHIO can learn a lot from Toyota, a company that leads in lean manufacturing and safety while producing a product with unmatched reliability,” said Eric Muth, vice president of Research at OHIO. "At OHIO, we have synergistic activities that could be advantageous to Toyota, ranging from workforce development including cultural competency and language programs to our research in advanced transportation.”

The event included a complete facility tour for OHIO leadership, as well as a discussion of vision and future areas of growth for the partnership. Attendees included Muth and Simmons, as well as Jason Jolley, associate vice president for Research Partnerships & Innovation; and, from the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Eric Steinberg, associate dean for Research and Graduate Education and Scott Miller, associate dean for Industry Partnerships.

“I was delighted to see a strong presence of Russ College of Engineering and Technology alumni at the Toyota facility,” said Miller. “Engaging with them firsthand highlights the quality of our graduates and the strength of the talent pipeline connecting our programs to major employers in the region.”

About Toyota of America
Five of Toyota’s American manufacturing facilities mark major historical anniversaries in 2026. With more than half a century of investment in the U.S., Toyota’s manufacturing facilities help power local economies, create stable careers, and strengthen communities. Toyota’s legacy of success is powered by more than $50 billion invested and 48,000 team members nationwide.