The long-awaited milestone to begin production at Huntsville’s Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) has finally come.

MTM, along with 2,000 of its team members, kicked off production of the new 2022 Corolla Cross. MTM is the only North American facility to produce the vehicle.

The joint-venture between Mazda Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation plans to continue its hiring spree as it prepares for production of its yet-to-be-announced Mazda vehicle.

Mark Brazeal, MTM’s vice president of administration, touched on the venture’s plans to add to its already-robust workforce.

“This is the moment MTM and our North Alabama community have waited for since we broke ground in November 2018,” said Brazeal. “We are excited to see Corolla Cross in dealerships across the U.S.”

The venture says it is currently hiring more than 1,700 additional employees to join its existing workforce, eventually reaching up to 4,000 once production is in full operation next year. Three hundred thousand vehicles are capable of being produced per year, evenly split between the two nameplates.

MTM vice president of production Janette Hostettler hailed the venture’s employees and credited them for the work that made the vehicle’s production possible.

“I’m so proud of our team members, and I’m excited to continue our hiring plan to add to our MTM family,” said Hostettler. “Our team members exhibit a true commitment to safety and quality, and it is a big day for them to watch the Corolla Cross drive off our line ready to be shipped.”

Upon receiving an additional commitment of $830 million in new investment last year, the venture’s overall investment increased to $2.311 billion. The additional investment allowed MTM to incorporate more cutting-edge technologies into its manufacturing processes.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL