One of the more overlooked announcements this week is perhaps one of the bigger ones we have seen in a while, as Suzuki Motor Corp has announced the creation of a new manufacturing plant in Hamamatsu, Japan.
The new factory combines engineering, development, engine production, and vehicle assembly into one location, which will streamline operations, increase efficiency, and reduce production costs on Suzuki’s Japanese-made motorcycle models.
Over 40 acres in size, the new factory is massive, and it sits in the Miyakoda district of Hamamatsu. Part of a five-year consolidation plan, the new factory replaces an engineering and development facility in Ryuyo; an engine production plant in Takatsuka; and a motorcycle assembly line in Toyokawa.
Aside from the fact that this new plant will be responsible for producing most of the motorcycles that come to the United States, for Suzuki as a whole this is a tremendous news item.
The reason for this is two-fold. One, it shows Suzuki’s commitment to the motorcycle industry. This is because none of the Japanese brands took the recession harder than Suzuki, with Suzuki all but closing the doors to its production facilities.
The result has been Suzuki’s stagnant model lineup, a dearth of investment in marketing activities, and a departure from most racing series. Many speculated that Suzuki would not recover from the Great Recession, and that the brand would leave the motorcycle industry entirely.
The capital and resource investment need for this new factory shows those rumors to be untrue, and proves Suzuki’s commitment to making motorcycles for the masses.
The second reason for this news being so important is that the consolidation of three factories into one helps to retool Suzuki for the modern motorcycle landscape, especially for the western markets.
Helping to reduce costs and streamline operations, the new factory will allow Suzuki to use fewer resources to create a motorcycle, and it will also make those models more profitable for the Japanese business unit.
With Suzuki set to release a number of new models over the next few model years – including a new Hayabusa, GSX-R600, GSX-R750, and the supercharged Recursion – this new factory is poised to create the next generation of Suzuki’s iconic motorcycles. Welcome back to the party, Suzuki.
Source: Suzuki Motor of America
