Mitsubishi Fuso Completes Consolidation of
Bus Production at Toyama, Japan, Plant

Kawasaki – Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, today announced it has completed consolidation of bus production at the Toyama, Japan, Plant. The development follows the company’s transfer of light-duty bus production from its Oye Plant, Nagoya, Japan, to the Toyama plant, located in Toyama, Japan. The first “Rosa” light-duty buses are now rolling off the line at Toyama.

“The Toyama, Japan, facility now becomes Mitsubishi Fuso’s bus manufacturing center, with a mission to provide the highest quality buses to customers in Japan and in export markets,” said Dr. Albert Kirchmann, MFTBC President and CEO. “With this development, we take a significant step to strengthen our bus business and achieve greater efficiencies in our production network.”

According to Dr. Kirchmann, the consolidation of bus production at Toyama is part of MFTBC’s Realignment Plan, announced in May 2009.  Under the plan, the company is adjusting its manufacturing operations for greater plant utilization and production closer to markets. Other key initiatives of the Plan cover the streamlining of the company’s product portfolio and Japan retail network, growth of international aftersales, material cost optimization and fixed cost reduction.

The Toyama plant, operated by MFTBC’s subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Bus Manufacturing Co., Ltd., is now producing Mitsubishi Fuso’s full line-up of buses. These include the Rosa light-duty bus (passenger, school, shuttle transportation), Aero Star route bus (city transportation) and Aero Queen and Aero Ace large touring buses (sightseeing, touring, inter-city transportation).

Most of these models are sold only in Japan, but the Rosa bus has a significant export presence in parts of Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. Therefore, the Toyama plant will also produce Rosa buses for export.

In addition, the plant will produce selected bus products for UD Trucks Corporation pursuant to an OEM supply agreement in effect since 2006.

The Toyama plant, with a 176,900 square-meter site area and 52,000 square-meter floor area, opened in 1993. Today, it employs 670 people.

Prior to the transfer to Toyama, the Rosa light-duty bus had been produced at the Oye Plant since 1960. The first Rosa model “B10” rolled off the line at Oye in December of that year. The final day of production at Oye was April 23, 2010. Along with this transfer of production function, about 120 employees of Oye Plant have relocated to Toyama.

Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. In 2009, the company sold a total of about 99,500 vehicles including light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Daimler AG owns 85% of MFTBC shares and various Mitsubishi group companies own 15% of MFTBC shares. MFTBC is an integral part of the Daimler Trucks Division of Daimler AG.