Nissan Eyeing More North American Capacity
Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn is eyeing another North American plant for Nissan, one that could be used to build both Nissan and Infiniti vehicles.
Infiniti, Ghosn said, is “too dependent on Japan”, though he stopped short of suggesting that the brand needs its own factory. A separate production line at a current factory would suffice, Ghosn told Automotive News. Currently, the only Infiniti model made in North America is the JX crossover, and Ghosn is adamant about introducing more North American production for the brand.
Ghosn sees a lack of local capacity as a major inhibitor of sales growth, and is hopeful that when Nissan’s Brazilian factory comes online in 2014, more capacity from their Mexican plant can be diverted to North America. Nissan is targeting 10 percent market share in the United States by 2017, and the timing of this achievement should be the impetus for the new plant.
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I was going to say "What about the Canton, MS-made QX56?", but since its alignment with the global Nissan Patrol, the QX is now built in Yukuhashi.
Why not use the Smyrna TN Leaf factory? There is certainly lots of unused capacity already in place.
GUNG-HO. Movie. 1986. Michael Keaton after Mr. Mom but before Batman. Story of a Japanese car company buying a recently defunct American auto-plant, leading the American liason to mediate the clash of work attitudes between the foreign management and native labor. Enter Hunt Stevenson, Union Rep and all-American good-guy, who suddenly finds himself having to justify his own job; to choose between redundancy or the seemingly inhuman Japanese work ethic that the new owners have brought with them. Can't wait to see the sequel straight to DVD.
Ten bucks says it's built in Mexico because Mexico has more free trade agreements with other countries that matter to car importers/exporters. don't count on it being built in the USA, hence the "North American" and not USA comment from him.