Nissan Celebrates 30th Anniversary of U.S. Manufacturing With Creation of 900 Jobs

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of its Smyrna, Tenn. Vehicle Assembly Plant, Nissan is adding more than 900 manufacturing jobs to support future production of the Nissan Rogue, marking the first time the Rogue has been produced in the United States.  

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"Our investment creates hundreds of new jobs and underscores Nissan's longtime commitment to our employees and expanding operations around the country," said Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Bill Krueger. "Our dedicated workforce in the United States continues to build high-quality vehicles, such as the Altima, Pathfinder and LEAF, which are driving growth with sales up a combined 70 percent in May." 

Throughout the last 30 years, the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant has grown significantly and transformed from a domestic manufacturer to a global one. In just the last year, Smyrna has become home to the country's largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant supporting production of the all-electric, zero-emission 2013 Nissan LEAF, as well as a new paint plant that sets standards for energy efficiency.

"Today's announcement shows the strength of the company and is another milestone in the long success story of Nissan here in Tennessee," Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said. "I want to congratulate Nissan for their accomplishments over the last 30 years and the tremendous impact their success has had on the state's economy and the thousands of people they employ."

Beginning with the new Nissan Altima, and continuing this fall with the launch of an all-new Rogue, Nissan will launch five core-volume models in 15 months in the United States. Those launches will cover more than 75 percent of showroom volume. The shift of Rogue production to the United States is part of Nissan's broader strategy to localize production. By 2015, Nissan aims to have 85 percent of its products that are sold in the United States produced in North America. Nissan has seen U.S. demand for the Rogue, expected to begin production in the fall of 2013, grow from just under 100,000 units in 2010 to 142,000 units in 2012. In May, Rogue sales reached an all-time high of 17,333 units.

Since the first U.S.-assembled vehicle, a white pickup truck, rolled off the assembly line in June 1983, Nissan's manufacturing footprint has grown steadily.  The combination of vehicle assembly plants in Canton, Miss. and Smyrna, Tenn. and a powertrain plant in Decherd, Tenn. have produced more than 12 million vehicles and created more than 14,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States. Production at Nissan's Smyrna and Canton assembly plants grew by more than 14 percent in 2012.

To learn more about a career with Nissan, interested applicants may visit www.Nissan.Jobs.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 267,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About Nissan North America 
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 and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

SOURCE Nissan