In response to strong growth opportunities throughout the region and in an effort to isolate the company from volatility in global currencies, Nissan (IW 1000/31) said on Monday that it expanding its manufacturing footprint in the Americas region with an investment of more than $5 billion in new plants and increased production volumes.
The company is adding more than 10,000 jobs across the region, with much of the hiring complete or underway.
In Mexico, where the company has been the market share leader for 50 consecutive months, a new $2 billion manufacturing complex, supplier park and quality proving ground in Aguascalientes is being built.
During the initial phase of its development, the new complex will support production of up to 175,000 units annually of Nissan's 'B' platform products and complement Nissan's two existing Mexican manufacturing facilities in Aguascalientes and Cuernavaca.
Construction is also in progress for an all-new $1.5 billion manufacturing complex in Resende, Brazil, which will have annual capacity for 200,000 'V' Platform vehicles with production slated for the first half of 2014.
The first plant of its kind for Nissan in South America will provide much-needed production volume to support Nissan's goal for market share growth in Brazil. In 2012, Nissan was the top-growing automaker in Brazil for the third consecutive year.
In addition, production of 4-cylinder gasoline engines for Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz models will begin in early 2014 at an all-new Renault-Nissan Alliance powertrain plant in Decherd, Tenn. The project is a joint venture with Daimler, with an installed capacity of 250,000 units per year.
