By Anita Rajan, General Director of JAMA USA
Manufacturing Month resonates deeply with Japanese-brand automakers because it’s at the heart and soul of what they do. They have cumulatively invested $66.4 billion in U.S. manufacturing over four decades and now operate 25 manufacturing facilities across the country. In fact, Japanese companies have continuously been a top employer within the U.S. manufacturing sector. Due to their large presence within the United States, Japanese-brand automakers work tirelessly to partner with its employees and local communities across the country to create opportunities for success and advancement.
In celebration of this year’s Manufacturing Month, JAMA USA is highlighting just a few of the exciting developments and initiatives by Japanese-brand automakers to move American manufacturing forward, including the groundbreaking of a new vehicle manufacturing facility in South Carolina, a reflection on a recent JAMA USA visit to a members’ manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama, and initiatives to attract and inspire the next generation of automotive manufacturing talent .
Isuzu North America Corporation (INAC) kicked off this year’s Manufacturing Month with an October 1 groundbreaking ceremony at its new production facility in Greenville County, South Carolina, which is expected to begin operations in 2027. The opening of this facility, where both internal combustion engine and electric commercial vehicles will be produced, is yet another testament to Japanese-brand automakers’ historical trend of “building where they sell” given Isuzu sold 44,000 units in the last fiscal year, an all-time sales peak since entering the U.S. market in 1984. This will be INAC’s first Isuzu-owned and operated production base in the U.S. Isuzu’s total investment in the plant is expected to equal approximately $280 million and by 2028 INAC expects to employ more than 700 people. To emphasize the importance of partnership with the facility’s surrounding communities during the groundbreaking ceremony, INAC’s Chairman and CEO, Noboru Murakami stated, “We are committed to building not just a factory, but a long-lasting partnership with this community. Together, we will create jobs, drive innovation, and contribute to the future of mobility.”
Also, at the start of the month, the JAMA USA team had the opportunity to visit and speak with representatives from the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) facility in Huntsville, Alabama. This unique facility with mirrored manufacturing lines, one for Mazda vehicle production and the other for Toyota, had the unenviable task of opening during a pandemic, which they did successfully on September 30, 2021. Furthermore, MTM impressively reached its goal of 4000 employees by 2023. MTM also took important steps to create growth opportunities for its current workforce through the Production-to-Maintenance Program, a collaboration with the Alabama FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program at Calhoun Community College. Production team members can apply for this program, and if chosen, MTM will continue to pay their full wages and benefits while they work part-time and attend the FAME Program part-time each week for two years. MTM is also shaping the regional automotive manufacturing talent pipeline with the August 2025 launch of the LIGHT program (Leading Industry Growth by Helping Teachers). This program is a partnership with Northern Alabama schools where industry partners, starting with MTM, will provide an instructor’s aide who will focus on classroom support through sharing industry knowledge and technical skills to both teachers and students.
The importance of overcoming lingering stigma attached to manufacturing jobs and attracting the next generation to consider careers in automotive manufacturing cannot be overstated. This year on Manufacturing Day, celebrated on October 3, Honda hosted nearly 2,000 students and teachers from more than 60 schools across ten of its U.S. production facilities. In addition to a factory tour, Honda offered students the opportunities to participate in hands-on activities and to learn about manufacturing directly from Honda associates.
Manufacturing Day, and the whole month of October, continues to be an important national grassroots movement showcasing the careers that modern manufacturing offers. Automotive manufacturing investments create high-quality jobs providing opportunities to have fulfilling careers. As is evident by some of the great examples shared here in celebration of Manufacturing Month, Japanese-brand automakers are visible, vocal, and involved employers within their local communities. Above all, Japanese-brand automakers also continue to devote time, effort and resources to ensuring that the future of U.S. automative manufacturing is set up for success.
