Japan's Hino Motors To Open Truck Assembly Plant in Williamstown

At a ceremony today, Gov. Joe Manchin joined Hideichiro Chikahiro, president of Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. (HMMUSA), Sen. Jay Rockefeller and local officials to announce that the company will assemble medium and heavy-duty trucks here. This is the first vehicle assembly facility in West Virginia. The $8.6 million investment will be used to upgrade the former Walker Systems facility and install manufacturing equipment at the 30.35-acre site at 1000 Innovation Drive. Once operations begin in November, the 194,000-square-foot plant will employ about 80 people who will build 2,500 trucks annually.

"We are extremely proud to welcome Hino Motors to West Virginia and to officially announce the formation of what I'm sure will be a wonderful, long-term partnership," Manchin said. "This announcement is the result of remarkable cooperation and coordination among state agencies, local development authorities and private industry.

"The Williamstown plant is not only West Virginia's first vehicle assembly plant, it's also the first assembly plant for Hino Motors in the U.S.," the governor said. "It's a great day for Wood County and for West Virginia."

Chikahiro said, "We are happy to call Wood County, West Virginia, home to our new truck assembly plant. This represents the latest step in our ambitious growth plans in America and we will strive to be a good corporate citizen while growing with the city, county and state."

Rockefeller said he is incredibly proud to have helped bring Hino Motors to West Virginia.