|
|
VisionWorks' Breakthrough Solutions
Community and Regional Success Stories
Japanese Plant is Coming to Marion – August 2004
On July 22, Hino Motors Manufacturing Company celebrated the
official groundbreaking of its new North American manufacturing
facility in Marion, Arkansas. The morning ceremony was hosted by
Governor Mike Huckabee and Tadaaki Jagawa, chairman of Hino Motors
Ltd. A subsidiary of Toyota, Hino is the largest commercial truck
manufacturer in Japan, specializing in 2-10 ton trucks. "This is a
wonderful day for all Arkansans," Huckabee said. "Hino Motors is
bringing great jobs and a major investment to our state. Today also
marks the realization that the future of the Delta will be different
for generations to come. We thank Hino for its investment in our
state."
When asked what to expect when working on a project like this, Kay
Brockwell, Director of Economic Development for the city of Marion
stated: "One of the biggest things is to know everything there is to
know about your site. Chances are, they will need something you
don’t allow in your zoning. You need to be flexible and work with
them."
When asked about working with a Japanese company, Brockwell
replied: "Learning about the Japanese culture and business culture
has been absolutely fascinating. They take a much longer view and
are more structured [than Americans are], with all decisions being
made in Tokyo. There is also a language barrier. They will make sure
they have their own interpreters, but (communication) will take
longer because of the interpreting. They are very thorough and very
detail oriented."
"The community has been extremely supportive," Brockwell continued.
"I don’t know that I have ever seen such a sense of ownership taken
by the community, with a sense that this is our plant. It’s been a
lot of fun and has required a lot of work from a lot of people. The
mayor (Frank Fogleman) has been intimately involved, plus Entergy,
Centerpoint/Arkla, Southwestern Bell, our city engineers, and Larry
Walther, Joey Dean, and Joe Bailey of the Arkansas Department of
Economic Development." Brockwell also noted that she is looking
forward to Marion’s "first Japanese restaurant in the area."
Back to
Community and Regional Success Stories
 |
