SOME R55-million has been invested in a new truck plant for Hino trucks on Toyota SA’s extensive manufacturing site in Prospecton.
CEO, Dr Johan van Zyl addressed a large group of dealers, customers and media representatives at the new plant on Wednesday, 21 May.
The official opening of the relocated assembly plant was attended by a number of dignitaries, including the chairman of the board of Hino Motors Limited, Masakazu Ichikawa.
Dr van Zyl said the latest investment in the truck plant is only part of recent investment in local production, with more than R1-billion having been spent on production facilities in Prospecton over the past few years.
The new assembly plant currently has an annual production capacity of 5,000 units on a single shift and this can be increased significantly as demand grows. The number of people employed at the plant and its related support functions currently stands at over 160 team members.
The trucks produced, the Hino models and Toyota Dyna, are for the domestic market and neighbouring countries only. Hino trucks for other markets in Africa are imported from Japan, with many passing through South Africa to have bodies and special equipment fitted. A switch to local production for some of these export markets could occur in the future.
Besides the company’s investment in the Hino brand, Van Zyl is upbeat in terms of the confidence being shown in the brand by Hino dealers recently. “Significant investments have been made and are currently being made by them in new and upgraded premises. Almost 50% of our Hino dealer network has invested or is currently investing in new or revamped premises since 2010, with the total investment over the period running to well over R100-million.”
Domestically, Hino has made a good start to the year in the local market with total sales of 1,126 medium, heavy and extra-heavy trucks in the first four months of 2014. This equates to second place in the rankings of local truck manufacturers and distributors and Hino retained its number one position in the medium commercial vehicle segment with Dyna and Hino 300.
