Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn on Tuesday joined more than 2,000 employees and guests at a launch event marking the start of production at the company’s new $US1.4 billion assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi. With the capacity to produce 400,000 vehicles a year, the facility will build the redesigned Quest minivan, Pathfinder Armada sport utility vehicle, Titan King Cab and Crew Cab full-size trucks, Altima sedan and a planned Infiniti sport utility vehicle.
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“This is Nissan’s revival plant,” said Ghosn. “Three years ago, when Nissan’s mere survival was in question, the Nissan Revival Plan provided the resources needed to build this plant. It’s a different story today, and Canton is set to play a significant part in our company’s future.
As the first vehicle maker in Mississippi, the Canton plant marks the beginning of the automotive industry in the state. The plant currently has 1,950 employees; in mid-2004, when full production is reached, the plant will employ 5,300 people. Additional jobs are being created by supplier companies and businesses that will support operations at the plant.
In April 2001, plant construction began on the 1,400-acre site located 15 miles north of Jackson. Before the initial construction was completed, Nissan announced plans to expand the plant for the production of the Altima sedan, which is also manufactured in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Canton plant currently covers 3.5 million square feet.
The first vehicle to be produced is Quest minivan, scheduled to go on sale in July.
Said Ghosn. “The Quest and the following new models made in Canton will make a significant contribution to our objective to sell 852,000 vehicles in the US this year.”
Nissan has invested nearly $US4 billion in its three US manufacturing facilities. In addition to the Canton Plant, Nissan’s Smyrna plant builds Maxima sedans, Xterra sport utility vehicles, Frontier pickup trucks and Altima midsize sedans. In Decherd, Tennessee, employees machine components and assemble transaxles and all the vehicle engines for the company’s US manufacturing plants.
