Nissan Will Consider Detroit Automaker Plants and Assets En Route to Expanding N.A. Operations, Official Says

Washington DC November 10, 2006; The AIADA newsletter reported that Nissan's Senior Vice President of North American Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Daniel Gaudette told Reuters yesterday that his company will consider plants and assets that are being shed by U.S. automakers as Nissan looks to expand its manufacturing capacity in North America.

"Everything depends on what's available, when it's available and then what our needs are," Gaudette said, referring to GM and Ford plant closures. "We certainly would consider any viable opportunity."

Gaudette said Nissan would also consider buying equipment from the factories that are being shuttered.

Nissan will be moving production of the Quest minivan from the Canton, Mississippi plant to a facility in Japan in 2008, in order to make room for new products –the company is in the process of launching seven new models in the U.S.

Currently, the automaker has three assembly plants in the United States and two in Mexico, which are running at 85 to 90 percent of capacity.