Hino Celebrates Grand Opening in West Virginia

WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va., Sept. 29, 2008 - Hino Motors Manufacturing USA, Inc. (HMM), today celebrated the official Grand Opening of its commercial truck assembly facility in Williamstown. This facility is Hino's first wholly-owned truck assembly plant in the United States. Approximately 300 guests attended the event, which included an assembly line tour and display of several Hino trucks equipped for different customer uses. Elected and business leaders offered congratulatory remarks, including, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin; Representative Alan Mollohan; Ambassador Motoatsu Sakurai, Consul General of Japan; and Shoji Kondo, Chairman of the Board of Hino Motors Ltd. (Japan). Senator Jay Rockefeller was scheduled to participate, but unexpectedly needed to be in Washington to participate in Senate consideration of economic recovery legislation.

"Hino Motors Manufacturing has established an important presence in Wood County and the Mid-Ohio Valley, and we're glad to have been a partner in that growth," said Governor Manchin. "We've watched Hino's rapid growth with pleasure and look forward to a long and mutually rewarding working partnership."

Senator Jay Rockefeller echoed similar praise from Washington. "I'm incredibly proud to have helped open the doors for Hino to come to West Virginia. It was a proud day for Wood County and our entire state when this company announced it was opening a facility here last year. Since that time, production has ramped up, approximately 1,000 trucks have rolled off the assembly line, and the hard working employees continue to impress and amaze every day. I congratulate Hino on today's grand opening, and I look forward to supporting its success in West Virginia for many years to come."

HMM-West Virginia assembles Class 4 to 7 commercial trucks. Customers use Hino Trucks for such purposes as residential/commercial moving, armored car service, beverage distribution, and wrecker service. The plant started production in November 2007, and today employs about 105 full-time Team Members. HMM has invested over $18,000,000 in the West Virginia facility, in the plant and equipment, to date.

"Hino very much appreciates the support it has received from the State and the surrounding local communities," noted parent company Chairman Kondo, who flew in from Tokyo specifically for the event. "Starting an operation with an empty building is a difficult task. We are fortunate to have good partners in government and the business community and, most importantly, a great group of Team Members."

Ceremony attendees also heard compelling, first-hand accounts from three Team Members of the positive impact that employment with HMM has had on their lives and families.

Hino announced several important contributions to the area community. Mr. Yasuo Tanigawa, President of HMM, presented a diesel truck engine to Washington State Community College, and a "practice training truck" to the Wood County Technical Center. Mr. Tanigawa explained that the intent of these contributions is to provide valuable education and skills training to local students -- a critical component of Hino's corporate social responsibility initiatives.

In addition to these donations, Chairman Kondo announced the establishment of a Hino college scholarship program. The scholarship will be awarded annually to four local high school seniors, in an amount up to one thousand dollars per year per student, for up to four academic years. The scholarship program will be administered by the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation.

At the close of the event, several of the dignitaries participated in a traditional ceremony of breaking the top of a sake keg, called Kagami Biraki, to symbolize "an opening to harmony and good fortune."