On Thursday, Toyota celebrated the opening of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, the company’s new $800 million plant outside of Tupelo, Miss., that assembles the Corolla.

Joining Thursday’s celebration were Toyota Motor Corp. president Akio Toyoda and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

The facility — located in Blue Springs — is Toyota’s 14th North American plant, further advancing the company’s efforts to design, develop and build vehicles where they are sold.

The automaker indicated the plant that has the annual capacity to produce 150,000 vehicles and will employ nearly 2,000 people.

Speaking at the ceremony, Toyoda declared, “Building vehicles where we sell them helps us be even closer to our customers. The U.S. market remains a key to Toyota’s overall success, and Toyota Mississippi will play an important role for us here.”

Barbour chimed in, saying, “Today is a great day for Blue Springs and the entire state of Mississippi.

“Toyota chose Mississippi for its dedicated, talented workforce, and I know they will enjoy great success at their newest facility,” Barbour continued. “We are proud to be the home of Toyota, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship with our newest corporate partner.”

TMMMS president Masafumi Hamaguchi added, “Mississippi has provided us with a great workforce who welcomes challenges and are eager to learn.

“Our slogan is: ‘Always look for the best way, using our pioneer spirit.’ The Mississippi workforce has shown that they have this spirit,” Hamaguchi went on to say.

Officials noted that Toyota’s Buffalo, W.Va., engine plant is supplying all engines for Corolla production at TMMMS. Cylinder heads and blocks for those engines are produced at both of Toyota’s Bodine Aluminum castings plants, located in Troy, Mo., and Jackson, Tenn.

When Toyota announced the Blue Springs project, the company also formed a partnership with the CREATE Foundation. A donation of $50 million — $5 million a year for 10 years —also was made toward an innovative addition to the public school system in the Pontotoc, Union, and Lee counties.

Officials highlighted that  the Center for Professional Futures will be an education facility designed to expose students in the eight school districts in the PUL Alliance counties to professional careers through high performance teaching and a modern learning environment.