Toyo Automotive Parts Kentucky facility production equipment to be auctioned off

Franklynn, KY – The Branford Group (“Branford”) will be conducting an auction at the former Toyo Automotive Parts USA (“Toyo”) facility in Franklin, Kentucky this April. Japan-based parent company Toyo Tire Corporation decided in August of 2023 to “cease manufacturing of automotive parts” at this U.S. subsidiary and dissolved the TAP business entity.

The 250,000 square foot Toyo operation opened in 2001 and manufactured anti-vibration rubber, joint boots, and other products for automobile manufacturers in North America. Significant investments were made from 2014 through 2018 as the operation purchased Aida straight-side stamping presses up to 330-tons, Orii uncoilers and feeders, Nissei plastic injection molding machines, a Therma-Tron-X electrostatic coating line, vertical rubber molding machines, and a Moriyama compounding line, all built and installed during that time.

“In nearly 30 years of buying and selling surplus equipment, I have never seen such a large offering of late-model stamping presses,” stated Marc Mazzalupo, Vice President at Branford. “With supply chain disruptions still impacting many OEMs, this sale presents end-users with an opportunity to immediately add near-new capacity at a fraction of its original or replacement cost.”

The full equipment offering will be available for bidding via a two-part public auction. Day-1 will feature Toyo’s core production equipment and will be held live online via a “studio webcast” on April 2nd, starting at 10:00am (CST). This will be followed by the Day-2 timed “online” auction of mainly facility support equipment. This timed event will open Monday, April 1st and the first lot will begin to close at 10:00am (CST) on April 3rd. Lot catalogs for both days/events have been posted and preview is strictly by appointment only.