Toyota Motor Corp. has begun building its new North American headquarters in Plano, Texas, so it can consolidate operations in Torrance, Calif.; Erlanger, Ky.; and New York, N.Y.

Toyota, which announced the company consolidation in April, has begun designing the new headquarters. Formal construction is set to begin in the next several weeks. Toyota has hired a developer, architect and project manager; and filed a preliminary site plan with the city of Plano, according to a company statement. The new headquaters should be finished in late 2016 or early 2017.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Toyota also unveiled an installation of the company name in large letters. Inside each letter are native Texan Yaupon Holly trees, which are a Japanese tradition. The trees will be planted permanently once the Toyota headquarters is completed and will represent the long-standing friendship between Japan and the United States and the company's commitment to the Plano community.