Hino in the USA has officially opened its new 330,000sq. metre manufacturing facility in West Virginia.
The first Hino rolled off the line at the Mineral Springs factory in June but the official; ribbon cutting was performed by the West Virginian governor Jim Justice. along the Hino USA CEO, Yoshio Shimo, officially opening the new plant where Hino’s Class 6, 7 and 8 600 Series bonneted conventional trucks, including its newly released Class 7 and 8 XL Series.
The new facility can produce 15,000 trucks a year on one shift, which the Hino said will provide it the capacity to continue to grow in the U.S.
“Hino is committed to building its trucks and products in the market it operates in,” said CEO, Yoshio Shimo.
“We have committed $US100 million in capital investment into our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, generating 250 new jobs. Today, I am excited to announce an additional commitment of $US40M in investment to meet increased demand and product configurations, creating an additional 250 new jobs, totaling 800 team members.”
Hino announced its plans to expand into a heavy duty bonneted range with the new plant when the OEM unveiled its XL Series trucks in late 2018.
“Entering Class 8 is arguably something no OEM has done successfully over the past 50 years,” Dominik Beckman, Hino’s US director of marketing and dealer operations said.
Eighteen months later, those trucks are in regular production at Mineral Wells.
Steve Stalnaker, Hino’s senior vice president of plant operations, told the crowd at the ceremony that although Hino produces world-class vehicles, it took much more for the company to double its market share over the past eight years.
“It required a customer base which has been consistently supportive of Hino products and championed the value of Hino ownership and provided valuable insight into the needs of the market, resulting in strategies to enhance the product line which we see today,” said Stalnaker.
Hino has also announced that it is investing an additional $US40 million and hiring 250 new workers to keep up with increased demand and product configurations at its new medium and heavy-duty truck plant in West Virginia.
The facility can produce 15,000 trucks annually on a single shift and the additional investment brings total employment to 800.
Hino US CEO Shimo presented the keys to Roger Penske, for the 20,000th Hino truck for Penske Truck Leasing.
“Hino is an important supplier of trucks to our leasing and rental business,” Penske said.
Hino has a 10 per cent share of the lease and rental market in the USA and it credits Penske for enabling it to achieve the position.
