Oct. 12--While the auto industry struggles with its slump, Toyota's largest North American manufacturing plant has been somewhat insulated from the problems.

"We're very fortunate to have the product line that we have," Georgetown plant president Steve St. Angelo told the Herald-Leader.

The plant manufactures only cars -- the Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon and Solara -- so it hasn't been affected by the precipitous drop in demand for trucks and SUVs.

Camry sales in the United States, for instance, are down just 2.6 percent this year, according to September data released by Toyota. By contrast, sales of the company's Tundra pickup are down 20.4 percent.

Georgetown also will soon begin building Toyota's new crossover vehicle, the Venza. "Everything we've seen so far says it's going to be a big hit," St. Angelo said.

Toyota had planned to stop producing the Solara at the plant, but its sales have increased because it is more fuel efficient than some other models, and Toyota has decided to keep making the convertible model.

"Our plant's not as flexible as I would like it or anybody would like it, but we're flexible enough to handle multiple lines of vehicles," St. Angelo said. That keeps the plant very valuable in the eyes of Japanese leaders.

The plant has also become a destination in recent months. About 110 workers have been temporarily reassigned from Toyota's Princeton, Ind., plant to Georgetown.

Princeton, which had made the Tundra until its production was consolidated in Texas, also makes the Sequoia SUV, which is not being produced again until November because of high inventories.

Toyota hasn't laid off any employees and instead has many either in training or doing other tasks. Those who came to Georgetown are working on the line.

Their temporary reassignment hasn't meant cuts at Georgetown, either. The company employs about 7,000 full-time there and has an additional 590 temporary workers.

Those who have come are filling roles that were open because of attrition, according to Toyota.

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