Nissan North America, Inc. announced the completion of a $118 million expansion and retooling project for commercial vehicle (CV) production at Nissan’s Canton plant. Production trials will begin next month on the NV, the first entry in the company’s new Nissan CV lineup in the United States and Canada.
“Preparing the plant to launch a new product in a new segment is a challenge our employees have met head-on,” said Dan Bednarzyk, vice president, Manufacturing – Canton. “We are excited about this opportunity to deliver a high quality, reliable, and innovative product to the marketplace.”
Nissan began expanding and retooling the plant last March. Changes to the plant over the past 12 months include:
- 14,400 square foot expansion to Body Assembly shop
- Modification to 79,200 square feet of existing Body Assembly shop
- 49,000 square foot expansion to Paint shop
- Modification to 59,000 square feet of existing Paint shop
- New assembly line added in existing Trim & Chassis shop
Earlier this month, Nissan unveiled the all-new Nissan NV at the National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) annual Work Truck Show in St. Louis. The Canton plant will start producing this full-size commercial van later this year in time for it to go on sale in late fall as a 2011 model.
The Canton plant will produce all three models of the NV lineup:
- NV1500/Standard Roof
- NV2500HD/Standard Roof and High Roof
- NV3500HD/Standard Roof and High Roof
- The NV will launch with a choice of two engines; a powerful yet fuel-efficient 4.0-liter V6 or a powerful 5.6-liter V8 with plenty of torque.
The NV joins a stable of high-quality vehicles currently produced at the Nissan Canton plant; including the popular and award-winning Nissan Altima that is consistently chosen by reputable publications and consumer surveys for its superior quality and safety performance.
The Nissan Canton plant also has garnered its share of recognition by playing a key role in helping the company become a 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year as named by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nissan’s manufacturing plants in Canton, along with those in Smyrna and Decherd, Tenn., have seen energy-efficiency improvements of more than 30 percent, saving the company over $11.5 million per year.
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling.
