Posted on 03/04/2009 12:41:01 PM PST by Islander7
CANTON, Miss. (AP) -- Nissan will invest $118 million to retool its Mississippi auto plant to produce its first commercial vehicle made in the United States.
Dan Bednarzyk, vice president of manufacturing at Nissan in Canton, said Wednesday that modifications at the plant have begun and production will start in 2010.
Bednarzyk said Japan's third-largest automaker, which last month announced 20,000 job cuts globally amid an industrywide downturn, reached the decision after seeing commercial vehicle sales grow by 8 percent in overseas markets.
Nissan's concept commercial vehicle was unveiled Wednesday at a national truck show in Chicago. The Nissan NV2500 Concept looks like a cargo van with a computer workstation, fold-down conference table, storage compartments and V8 engine.
(Excerpt) Read more at wlsam.com ...
"We were in every market in the world except for the United States and we should be in that market," Bednarzyk said. "We have a strong base within the United States for passenger vehicles ... so it just made sense."
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Non-union jobs will be available in Mississippi soon!
The Big Three are still trying to figure out what happened, and the Japanese are already planning for the expansion.
Thanks for the ping...Now this is cool!!!The big three, especially Ford, own the commercial market. With their demise, the door is open...That’s if we maintain a private market of construction and other companies needing said vehicles!!!
I drive an F-150, 5.8 litre V-8. Love it!!
My brother bough a Nissan (2005) with extended cab and half size bed. It has held up very well, despite his abuse. ;-)
Datsun (Nissan) has always made a pretty reliable vehicle.
Looks like a 7/8 scale Sprinter.
}:-)4
Well technically they are already working there, they've been working there for I think two years now (+/- a year, time flys to fast for me to keep track).
This will be good news for those living in and around Smyrna Tennessee because they will probably move most if not all that production back to that plant, which has really cut back production quiet a bit since the Missisippi plant was built.
I know, but there will be an expansion of opportunities with the new production.
While traveling recently we drove by this plant in Mississippi. It is HUGH !
Series, if they expand it very much it will reach all the way to Memphis.
A UAW plant????
Yeah I agree with you there, I hope it ends up being a real big expansion in jobs. I'm not sure but Nissan workers used to be the lowest paid workers as far as compared to the other companies plants that make cars in the U.S. but were the best off because the cost of living in Tennessee and Mississippi was a lot better then in those other places. And they have rejected the UAW about three times.
It sure would be nice, though, for one of those companies to put a plant in the Southern part of the state!
but were the best off because the cost of living in Tennessee and Mississippi...”
I’d take a pay cut NOT to live in Detroit. ;-)
But don’t despair, Obozo will get card-check passed and then Nissan wil be unionized and their workers will make just as much as those at GM and they can go bankrupt too!! what a country!!!
Only problem with Smyrna is driving I-24. I am a northerner who was transplanted down there for a year. It was a terrifying driving experience (maybe because I am not a NASCAR fan).
Here the drivers honk and give you the finger. In Tennessee, they never do that (or use turn signals). They just drive 120 MPH and pass on the right, while I poke around at 85 MPH. My first week back home, I got the finger twice because I was a little rusty on directions. I cannot count the blaring horns. AAH! To be home again.
Good luck with the Nissan plant. I liked the people in Tennessee, though I hated the driving.
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