Nissan Names Turner Construction Company General Contractor for Tech Center Expansion

    FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.--Feb. 4, 2003--Nissan Technical Center North America today announced it had chosen the Michigan office of Turner Construction Company as the general contractor for a $38.8 million expansion project at the automaker's North American research and development center.
    The project at NTCNA in Farmington Hills is part of a significant expansion in Nissan's styling, engineering and manufacturing operations in the United States. This spring, Nissan will begin vehicle production at a new $1.4 billion assembly plant in Canton, Miss. In addition, a $1 billion expansion project is under way at Nissan's vehicle and engine manufacturing operations in Smyrna and Decherd, Tenn., and new styling design studio space is being added at Nissan Design America in San Diego, Calif.
    In Michigan, work will begin immediately on the addition of 100,700 square feet of new space in a new three-story engineering building, a new styling studio building and a new testing operations building. Construction of the new engineering building, the largest part of the NTCNA project, is to be completed by the end of this year.
    "Nissan is in the midst of an unprecedented product-introduction program in the United States," said NTCNA President Mitsuhiko Yamashita. "NTCNA's responsibilities are growing, so our capabilities must grow as well. We are glad to have Turner as our general contractor on this important project."
    Turner will be responsible for general oversight of the project, including the hiring of subcontractors.
    "Turner is pleased to be working with Nissan on this key assignment," said Steven R. Berlage, vice president and general manager of Turner's Michigan office. "Turner and its subsidiaries have worked and are currently working with several Nissan companies on a variety of projects in Tennessee and Mississippi."
    Turner Construction Company, the leading general builder in the United States, is a subsidiary of the Turner Corporation and based in Dallas, Texas. Turner operates 45 full-service offices in the United States and has other offices abroad. It offers services including general contracting, construction management, planning and pre-construction work.
    Nissan Technical Center North America is the U.S. vehicle development arm of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. of Japan. NTCNA operates a technical center in Farmington Hills, Mich., and has other facilities in Los Angeles and Sacramento, Calif.; Stanfield, Ariz.; and Smyrna, Tenn.