Nissan to make ASEAN export base

Nissan Motor is planning a comeback in Thailand, in terms of sales and image in the next five years, despite lower-than-projected returns on investment. The company plans to do this through its strong management team and new advanced-technology, eco-friendly cars. “We’ll keep making progress in Thailand, as sales of pick-ups and small cars are growing, and there’s room for growth. We hope to make a comeback in the market in the next five years,” said President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. In May, Nissan released the outline of its new five-year business plan, entitled “Nissan GT 2012”, which started on April 1 and should end on March 31, 2013. One is to increase volume and market share by taking advantage of recent and coming product launches. The second pillar is improving brand perception and closing the gap with the top runners. Third is to make ASEAN a major export base to supply Nissan’s operations worldwide with vehicles and parts. Nissan’s Thai plant will have an annual capacity of more than 200,000 units by next year. Although Ghosn does not plan to launch electric cars in Thailand, the company will have an environmentally friendly A-platform car to introduce into the Thai market. Despite the emergence of cheaper manufacturing countries, especially India and China, Nissan has no plans to move its production base from Thailand. (June 22/25, 2008)