Toyota, Mazda Press for $1 Billion in Incentives From States Vying for 4,000-job Plant

Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. are pressing for an incentive package of at least $1 billion from U.S. states trying to land their $1.6 billion joint car factory, according to people familiar with the negotiations.Toyota and Mazda plan to brief their boards on a short list of states contending for the plant in the coming weeks and announce a final selection by the end of year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin and Jeremy Barnes, who represents Mazda, both declined to comment.More than a dozen states have either confirmed their interest or have been connected to proposals for the factory, including Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina. Texas already has a strong Toyota presence with a truck plant and supplier network in San Antonio and the automaker's new North American headquarters in Plano.  Continue reading...