Japanese Automakers in America: New Plants, New Jobs, New Vehicles
[September 2006]

American tastes, priorities and judgments about quality and value continue to drive change in what has become a dynamic global automobile industry. Those changes demand research, investment and commitment to manufacturing excellence. The members of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) have responded by offering Americans vehicles with cutting-edge technology and award-winning quality, built with attention to style as well as competitive efficiency. American consumers have responded, triggering JAMA company announcements this year to build more U.S. plants, buy more U.S. parts, increase research efforts here and hire still more American workers.

In 2006, three new JAMA member auto and auto parts manufacturing plants will open, with a fourth plant opening in 2008. Our members will invest an estimated $1.73 billion in building these four new plants. By 2007, our members also will have invested an additional $382 million in two existing engine plants to increase their manufacturing capacity. By 2008, our members’ investment in U.S. auto and auto parts manufacturing plants will have grown to a projected total of $30.09 billion. Today, the cumulative investment in the U.S stands at $28 billion.

Of course, American workers will operate those new facilities. Our members estimate that 4,680 more Americans will be hired to work in them, for an estimated total of 62,594 U.S. plant employees by 2008. Our members (including distributors) and their dealers today employ 431,738 Americans in 25 plants, 36 research facilities, 7,050 dealership franchises and additional distributor offices.

American workers in our members’ American plants produced nearly 3.5 million American-made cars and trucks in 2005, an increase of 10% over 2004. Our purchases of U.S. auto parts have kept pace with this growth in production. Our American parts purchases were $48.44 billion in 2005, reflecting growth of 7% over 2004.

Satisfying demanding and sophisticated American consumers is key to this growth. Consumers’ evolving priorities have focused competition around high standards of safety, environmental cleanliness, energy conservation, and technological innovation, in addition to quality and value. To meet that ongoing challenge we conduct significant automotive R&D in the U.S. Our American R&D staff has grown steadily over the years, from 200 in 1987 to nearly 3,600 today.

We know it takes more than success in the marketplace before we can call the communities in which we live and work home. That’s why our companies and employees generously contribute their time and money to worthy causes in towns and cities across America. The facts and figures on the pages that follow provide more than a dry, statistical understanding of our accomplishments. They reflect our commitment to satisfying the American consumer and integrating our companies into the fabric of America.