A Sense of Community and Culture Evident at Hino Motors West Virginia Grand Opening - aftermarketNews

A Sense of Community and Culture Evident at Hino Motors West Virginia Grand Opening

Perched on the banks of the Ohio River , Hino Motors Manufacturing USA’s new truck plant in Williamstown , W.Va. , celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 29. Hino officials, plant employees and dignitaries gathered at the event, which was attended by nearly 300 guests.

by Amy Antenora , Editor

WILLIAMSTOWN, W. Va. Perched on the banks of the Ohio River , Hino Motors Manufacturing USA’s new truck plant in Williamstown , W.Va. , celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 29.

Hino officials, plant employees and dignitaries gathered at the event, which was attended by nearly 300 guests. Among the business leaders and elected officials to make remarks were West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin; Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai, consul general of Japan ; and Shoji Kondo, chairman of the board of Hino Motors Ltd. ( Japan ). Senator Jay Rockefeller and Rep. Alan D. Mollohan (WVA) were also scheduled to participate, but unexpectedly needed to be in Washington to participate in Senate consideration of economic recovery legislation.

At right: Attendees check out Hino’s new snow plow truck.

While this was an exciting day for Hino Motors, it was even more meaningful for West Virginia and the Williamstown communities, as the plant brings much needed jobs and income to the community. Hino originally planned to invest $8 million in the facility, but that number was increased to a total of $18 million; and the number of jobs increased as well. Eighty employees were initially hired, and Hino now employs 105 team members at the Williamstown plant. Approximately 4,000 West Virginia residents applied for those initial 80 jobs.

“It’s very unusual to have a foreign manufacturer come here. Usually, our businesses are leaving for foreign soil,” said Williamstown Mayor Jean Ford. “We welcome you with open arms and are excited you are here.”

Plans for the plant were first announced in July 2007, and the commercial truck assembly was up and running in just four months. The plant began producing Class 4 to 7 commercial trucks in November 2007. Since then approximately 1,000 trucks have rolled off the assembly line in Williamstown. The plant expects to produce 5,000 trucks annually.

Hino’s products have been well-received in the U.S. market since the company began producing commercial trucks in the U.S. four years ago, according to Sumio Fukaya, president of Hino Motor Sales USA.

“Our market share is growing,” said Fukaya. “Good ‘QDR,’ which stands for ‘quality, durability, reliability’ is our product’s strong point.”

Pledging to increase sales of Hino products despite challenging economic conditions in the U.S. , Fukaya added, “Fuel economy becomes our weapon.”

Adding to the commentary regarding the tough economic conditions in the U.S. today, Hino Motors Chairman Shoji Kondo said he believes the U.S. economy is on the verge of an upswing. “Hino has been exposed to the harsh market conditions in the U.S. but we believe the market has hit bottom and will go up in the next year or so,” said Kondo.

During the formal grand opening ceremony, Hino officials also announced several significant contributions to the area community. Yasuo Tanigawa, president of Hino Motors Manufacturing, presented a diesel truck engine to Washington State Community College , and a "practice training truck" to the Wood County Technical Center . Tanigawa explained that the intent of these contributions is to provide valuable education and skills training to local students — a critical component of Hino’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.

In addition to these donations, Chairman Kondo announced the establishment of a Hino college scholarship program. The scholarship will be awarded annually to four local high school seniors, in an amount up to $1,000 per year per student, for up to four academic years. The scholarship program will be administered by the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation.

At the close of the event, several of the dignitaries participated in a traditional ceremony called Kagami Biraki, which consists of breaking the top of a sake keg, to symbolize "an opening to harmony and good fortune."

You May Also Like

HD Repair Shops Report Increases in Counter Sales, Labor Rates

The data comes from a Fullbay report published in partnership with ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council.

State of Heavy Duty Repair

Heavy-duty repair shops around the country reported up to a 40% year-over-year increase in counter sales, according to Fullbay’s 2023-2024 State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report.

Labor rates went up approximately $10 per hour compared to the 2022-2023 data.

Fullbay published the fourth-annual report in partnership with ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council.

HDA Truck Pride Adds Hawaii Truck Parts

Over the past 30 years, the business has evolved into a key player across multiple Hawaiian Islands, venturing into parts sales on Oahu. 

Hawaii Truck Parts
Power Heavy Duty Welcomes Childers Auto and Truck Parts

Membership in Power Heavy Duty will help Childers focus on growth and expansion.

Power Heavy Duty Welcomes Childers Auto and Truck Parts
Phillips Connect, Noregon Partner to Enhance Fleet Management

The collaboration integrates Phillips Connect’s Connect1 trailer data into Noregon’s TripVision Remote Diagnostics system, streamlining the exchange of health data for trailers.

Noregon-Phillips-COnnect
TravelCenters of America Celebrates 300 Locations

This year, TA plans to open 20 new locations and add EV charging stations to select locations among other initiatives.

TravelCenters-of-America

Other Posts

Geotab Unveils Ace, A Generative AI Copilot For Fleets

This new feature aims to improve fleet management by providing customized insights through conversational AI.

GEOTAB-ACE
TRP Celebrating 30th Anniversary in 2024

TRP offers more than 157,000 parts through a global network of 18 parts distribution centers, and more than 2,300 DAF, Kenworth and Peterbilt dealerships and TRP stores.

TRP Celebrating 30th Anniversary in 2024
VIPAR H-D’s Supplier Council Reviews Performance, Strategy

At its semi-annual meeting, the council discussed market conditions and opportunities, as well as other key topics affecting the company’s distributor network.

VIPAR hold semi-annual meeting
PACCAR Parts Honors Excellence in Dealer Performance 

Awards were presented to dealers for outstanding parts, TRP and eCommerce achievements during the recent Peterbilt Dealer Meeting in Indian Wells, California.

PACCAR Parts Honors Excellence in Dealer Performance