The recall dealt a blow to the reputation of Toyota and to its earnings. Employees at the Buffalo plant, which produces engines and
transmissions, were told its assembly line would be shut down February 1st.
Officials at the plant now say that production
slowed down for just one week in February. Since then work has been at a
regular pace, including periods of overtime for some workers.
Kenneth Tucker is Mayor of Buffalo. He says for
the people of the town, it was and is a worrisome time because of what Toyota
has done for the community.
“We have got several things for the town because
of them, we got a bridge that we always wanted, natural gas, better water,
better road and the businesses here in town, the people that comes here, they
do business here in town, that helps,” Tucker said.
The plant has employed over a thousand people
since 1996. Toyota pays almost $30,000 a year in taxes to Putnam County.
Tucker says things would definitely change if the
plant were to close.
“If they had to close down, see we got a sewer
plant because of them and we would have to shut that down quickly because they
pay several thousand dollars a month just to run that,” Tucker said.
Tucker says many people including his son drive
Toyotas because the plant is nearby. He says most aren’t worried about the
recall.
“I don’t have one, but the ex-mayor he’s got one
and one of council members, well two of the council members they have Toyotas
and they don’t have any trouble with them, so I don’t know,” Tucker said.
Two years ago, Toyota surpassed General Motors to
become the world's largest automaker. In 2009 the company reported its first
ever annual loss. Now, just weeks into 2010, its sales have been hurt at a time
when it desperately needs to sell cars in its biggest market, the U.S.
Joyce Harris works at the Buffalo Diner in town. She drives a Toyota Rav 4.
“I have a brand new Rav 4 and I wouldn’t trade it
for nothing, so no I’m not worried about it. I think Toyota is a good company
and they’ll stand by their word,” Harris said.
Bill Desimone is the owner of the Diner. He says the answer is simple.
“They’re not the first company to have a recall
and it won’t be the last, it happens, they’re fixing it,” Desimone said.
Sylvia Reynozo was at the Food King grocery store last
week. She was in town visiting family,
but lives in Paris,
Kentucky. Her
opinion of the Toyota
recall is much different than that of others who were in Buffalo Friday.
“Yeah they’re worried, they’re worried because I
live in Paris and the Georgetown plant is just 17 miles away and Paris has a
lot of people that work at Toyota, so yeah they’re worried,” Reynozo said.
“Georgetown is the site of another Toyota plant,
three hours away in Kentucky where 6,500 workers assemble 1,500 vehicles a day.
Reynozo says right now things are ok, but people
are afraid of what’s next.
“Of course they’re still working and everything,
but I think the worst is yet to come in my opinion,” Reynozo said.
Georgetown shut down its assembly line for one day
in February and has scheduled three more one-day shutdowns in March and April. In
late January, they halted production on one line for a week.