Southeast Toyota Distributors reaches milestone on new auto processing facility at JAXPORT

Contractors for Southeast Toyota Distributors, the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas, continue to make significant progress on a new 340,000-square-foot state-of-the-art auto processing facility currently under construction at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.

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The project’s contractor, J.E. Dunn Construction, has completed the foundations and is now beginning construction of the concrete walls in preparation for the installation of structural steel framing in late July.

Planned for completion in summer 2025, the $145 million public-private partnership modernizes the company’s operations, incorporating additional on-site rail connections and truck loading areas. The total project is funded by a combination of Southeast Toyota Distributors funding and a $19.78 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to assist with terminal development.

“We are excited to continue our long-term commitment to growth in Jacksonville, a city that has always been at the heart of our operations,” said Eric Carter, group vice president of operations, Southeast Toyota Distributors. “We are in the midst of the largest investment in our history. With Toyota’s continued development and success within our five-state footprint, this new facility will expand our vehicle processing capacity while increasing our agility and capacity to receive vehicles by both rail and sea. Designed with efficiency in mind, this new facility will address capacity and logistical needs to better enhance the prompt dealer service that Southeast Toyota Distributors strives to continue providing to our dealer partners.”

“We are proud of the partnership we have built with Southeast Toyota Distributors over the past five decades and grateful for their commitment to bringing this world-class facility to Jacksonville,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “This public-private partnership, supported by our partners at FDOT, provides quality jobs for our community while enhancing our position as the global gateway for Toyotas bound for the growing Southeast U.S. market.”

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When construction is complete, Southeast Toyota Distributors will relocate operations from its 50-acre facility at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal and an adjacent 23-acre private facility into a single 88-acre property at Blount Island. Combining operations at Blount Island creates operational efficiencies and additional space for Southeast Toyota Distributors to accommodate more vehicles.

To further enhance capabilities for vehicle processors at Blount Island, JAXPORT in partnership with FDOT, has two berth enhancement projects currently underway. One vehicle berth is being expanded to accommodate two vehicles instead of one, and a second berth is being widened to accommodate larger ships calling the terminal more efficiently.

Southeast Toyota Distributors has been operating at JAXPORT for more than 50 years and is one of the port’s longest-standing tenants. The company processes Toyota vehicles manufactured in North America and Japan at JAXPORT for distribution across the Southeast U.S.

In 2023, Southeast Toyota Distributors moved more than 120,000 vehicles through JAXPORT. The company’s Jacksonville operations support more than 800 jobs, including processing, parts and distribution, and technical support and training.

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