Purchase order for engine assembly line amounting to ¥5,000,000,000 was received from General Motors (GM) of the United States. (This is the first time that an engine assembly line costing more than ¥5,000,000,000 is delivered to the United States' BIG 3.)
This purchase order is indicative of the high evaluation from GM regarding the total capability of the company, from engineering to facility development as well as the next generation engine assembly concept of ACS (assembly cell system) that accords well with the image of what a highly operable and standardized assembly line GM aspires for. This also indicates the high expectations that the issues that arose from the shortening of development period of last year's new car models and the increased demand from car makers for shorter delivery times from the moment that purchase orders are received at the production lines.
(Appeared in Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Denpa Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun)