Nissan Motor Co celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Kyushu production base and the 15 millionth vehicle produced there.

Fukuoka Prefectural Governor Hiroshi Ogawa, Nissan chief competitive officer Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan executive vice president in-charge of manufacturing Fumiaki Matsumoto, other executives and nearly 500 employees attended a ceremony at the plant to commemorate the milestones, said a statement.

Nissan started producing engines in Kyushu in April 1975 and progressed to producing Datsun brand trucks the following year.

As the oldest vehicle manufacturing plant in Kyushu, the plant has continued to expand its production line-up and increase its output, passing the five-million-unit production milestone in November 1992 and the 10 million-unit milestone in December 2004.

In 1992, a second production line was opened that was not only highly advanced but also designed to create a friendly and comfortable work environment, said the statement.

In 2000, private wharfs for shipping to domestic and overseas markets were opened, which enabled the plant to manufacture, store and ship cars efficiently on the same site.

In 2010, Nissan Shatai Co, a Nissan subsidiary with strength in mixed-model production lines, also started producing in Kyushu.

In 2011, the Kyushu plant was made an independent operational company, Nissan Motor Kyushu Co.

The auto maker has made the best use of the Kyushu region’s geographical advantages to further improve procurement and logistics efficiencies, with Nissan Motor Kyushu remaining a leading plant within Nissan’s production structure in terms of global cost competitiveness, said the statement.

Through these expansions, Kyushu has become a key production base for Nissan, accounting for more than the half of its Japanese production volume, it added. - TradeArabia News Service