AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico,
July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In
a ceremony that fused Japanese and Mexican traditions, Nissan
celebrated a historic milestone by setting the first stone of its
new manufacturing complex in Aguascalientes. This is the third
manufacturing complex in the country and the second in the state of
Aguascalientes. The complex is the
result of a $2 billion investment
announced last January to increase manufacturing capacity needed to
satisfy the high demand for Nissan vehicles in the domestic and
international markets.
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The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including:
Felipe Calderon, president of
Mexico; Carlos Lozano de la Torre, governor of
Aguascalientes; Hidetoshi Imazu, executive vice president of
Manufacturing at Nissan; Bill
Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas; Jose Luis Valls, president and general manager
of Nissan Mexicana; and Armando
Avila, vice president of Manufacturing for Nissan
Mexicana.
More than 250 guests witnessed the laying of this first stone,
which will bring to life one of the most ambitious manufacturing
projects in Mexico's history.
The new complex will be located to the south of Aguascalientes, near the airport, and will be
2.5-times larger than the existing plant. During its Phase 1, it
will produce 175,000 compact vehicles per year (B-platform). To
achieve this goal, Nissan will create 3,000 direct jobs and
generate approximately 9,000 indirect jobs. Furthermore, the
complex will include a supplier park and a quality proving
ground.
Phase I of this complex will be completed in a record time of 20
months and it will be operational by the end of 2013. Nissan´s
expanded production will be supported by a network of suppliers
based at the adjacent supplier park, as well as from other
locations. Vehicles manufactured in Mexico by Nissan have 80 percent domestic
content.
The first stone ceremony was performed according to the Japanese
tradition of the Daruma, a votive figure without arms or
legs, with moustache and beard, but with whitened eyes used as
reminder and motivation to fulfill goals or ambitious tasks.
According to this tradition, the right eye of the Daruma was
darkened to establish the clear goal of finishing this construction
in record time. When construction is finished and the first
vehicles roll off the assembly line, the other eye will be painted
as well as a symbol of the success of the project.
A time capsule was placed next to the first stone. It included
memorabilia of the time, such as newspapers and coins, as well as
photos of every single employee currently working with Nissan in
Aguascalientes as a symbol of
their role as founders of the next stage in the operation´s
history. Cultural performances by a Japanese children chorus and
Mexican folkloric dancers capped the ceremony.
"The magnitude of Nissan's commitment to this new automotive
complex is without par. With this investment, we will be able to
increase our manufacturing capacity from over 600,000 units per
year, to more than 800,000 units by the close of 2013, continuing
our record setting production rates in Mexico. And this is only Phase 1," said
Armando Avila, vice president of
Manufacturing at Nissan Mexicana. He added: "The challenge is
enormous, but inspiring. We will achieve it because we are
proficient in advanced production processes and can count on very
skilled labor to deliver with top quality."
"The new Aguascalientes complex
underscores the objectives set forth by Nissan´s global strategy,
Nissan Power 88, including a target global market share of 8
percent. The increase of manufacturing capacity for an operation
that has already proven its leadership, will enable us to deliver
more innovative vehicles for markets that are clamoring for them,"
said Bill Krueger, vice chairman of
Nissan Americas.
"What encourages me more is how you are working here with
'kokoro,' or spirit in Japanese. I think those who are working here
in Aguascalientes have 'kokoro,'
in your care for customer needs, 'kokoro' to improve yourselves to
achieve higher levels of skills and technology and skills, and
'kokoro' to challenge difficult issues head-on. I hope this spirit
will be handed down to the new employees being hired for the new
plant so that it becomes of the top-performing plants in the Nissan
world, like the current Aguascalientes and Cuernavaca plants," said Hidetoshi Imazu, executive vice president of
Manufacturing at Nissan.
"This new manufacturing complex represents the most ambitious
investment announced by any company, from any industry in recent
times in Mexico. Without a doubt,
Nissan is driving an era of leadership, definitely in sales, but
also in manufacturing which is the backbone of our organization and
will help us grow further in Mexico and throughout the region," said
Jose Luis Valls, president and
general manager of Nissan Mexicana. He added, "Beyond thanking
Nissan for strengthening its commitment to Mexico over five decades, we must give credit
to the more than 11,600 employees and millions of customers who
have placed their trust on us and fueled our success," said
Valls.
Carlos Lozano, governor of
Aguascalientes, stated: "This
first stone represents our commitment to work and collaborate with
Nissan to ensure that this project, that Aguascalientes is sharing with Mexico and the world, drives growth and
generates benefits for all productive sectors and thousands of
families in our country."
Ongoing preparations for Phase I entail the recruitment and
training of over 3,000 employees to ensure the highest
manufacturing quality and productivity in record time.
51 years of history in Mexico
Nissan Motor Co. arrived in Mexico in 1959 as a vehicle importer. In 1961,
it established Nissan Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. to import and
distribute automobiles.
It was in May 12, 1966, when
Nissan Mexicana started its car manufacturing operations at Ciudad
Industrial del Valle de Cuernavaca
(CIVAC). It became the first Nissan automotive plant outside of
Japan. A second complex in
Aguascalientes was founded on
November 13, 1982, to produce,
components and stamping and, as of 1992, vehicles.
Since then, Nissan´s manufacturing operations have expanded
significantly with new projects such as the production of three
models based on the new V-platform, the Nissan March, the Versa and
a multipurpose vehicle to be announced at a later date.
To this date, both plants have produced jointly over 7 million
units. In 2011, Nissan produced more than 600,000 units, a historic
record for the domestic industry.
Also in 2011, vehicle export operations reached more than
400,000 units exported to more than 100 countries, a number that
demonstrate the untapped potential that could be realized once the
new facility begins operating.
Nissan Mexicana has led the Mexican market for three years in a
row and reached 25.5 percent market share, with 117,824 unit sold
so far in calendar year 2012 (January-June). This represents an
increase of 18.2 percent compared to the same period in 2011.
About Nissan Mexicana
Nissan Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. is a subsidiary of Nissan Motor
Co., Ltd. established in Mexico in
1961. It has Corporate, Marketing, Sales, Manufacturing,
Distribution, and Design facilities in Aguascalientes, Mexico City, Cuernavaca and Toluca. In 2011 it reached 50 years of
operating in Mexico. It currently
employs over 11,600 workers and employees. In 2011 it
commercialized 224,509 vehicles in Mexico, with a market share of 24.8% (6.2 pp
over 2010), and produced 607,087 units for the domestic and export
markets. Nissan´s commitment to the environment is underscored by
the Nissan Green Program 2010, which seeks to reduce CO2 emissions
and recycling standards. Also, the ANDANAC/Nissan Foundation
administers a Social Relief Fund for the construction of public
elementary schools. Over the last 11 years, 65 schools have been
built and equipped to benefit 31,480 underprivileged children in
the country.
SOURCE Nissan Americas
