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| | New car parts plant opens; governor readies for trip to recruit more auto jobs
Friday, Apr 8, 2005 By Wesley Brown Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - State economic development officials said Thursday that Gov. Mike Huckabee is preparing to travel to the world's automobile capital early next week to recruit more auto-related jobs to the state. In the meantime, a Japanese car parts manufacturer broke ground on a plant in eastern Arkansas on Thursday - the same area that the governor and state job recruiters will market to auto executives in Detroit, beginning on Monday. Arkansas economic development officials said Huckabee will travel to the nation's auto capital early next week to attend the 100th Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, one of the auto industry's largest international gatherings. "He will be going there to tell the national and international press and auto executives about the state's growing auto manufacturing base," said ADED spokesman Mitch Chandler. The four-day SAE conference, from April 11-14, brings together the top executives and engineers in the auto industry, along with hundreds of suppliers, economic development and government officials from around the world. About 50,000 participants are expected to attend this year's show, SAE organizers said, headlined by Huckabee, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. Chandler said Huckabee will travel to the conference with ADED Director Larry Walther, along with other members of the state's economic development team. Chandler said Huckabee has scheduled a news conference for Monday afternoon. While in Detroit, Huckabee also will have a chance to visit with auto executives from around the world, including SAE sponsors GM, Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Honda and dozens of other smaller automakers. China, which is looking to expand its U.S. auto market in the next decade, also is sending a a large contingent to this year's conference, SAE officials said. One of the highlights of the conference will be the introduction of six new fuel cell cars. Toyota, which plans to announce the site of its seventh North American auto plant by the end of the year and its eighth plant by 2010, will be presenting a paper at the conference about its two new hybrid sports utility vehicles, the Highlander and Lexus RX400. Many site experts believe that one of Toyota's future plants in the U.S. will produce one of the company's hybrid vehicles. the Japanese auto giant's new gas-electric Highlander will start arriving in the U.S in June. Last fall, Toyota introduced the Prius, the company's mid-sized gas-electric vehicle. Currently, site experts say that a 1,400-acre industrial site in Marion is high on the list of possible sites that Toyota will select for one of its new plants. Toyota affiliates Hino Motors and Denso are investing more than $200 million in new plants in eastern Arkansas. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller will joined executives of Japan-based Sakae Riken Kogyo Co. Ltd. on Thursday for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 40-acre Eakas Arkansas manufacturing plant in Wynne. "Arkansas continues to show the world that we're a great fit for the automotive industry," Huckabee said in a statement. "Many Arkansas families can look forward to an improved quality of life thanks to Eakas' decision to locate here." The $15 million Eakas plant facility will produce door handles and mirrors, plus other interior and exterior parts for the auto industry. Production at the 91,000-square-foot plant will begin with about 75 employees in early 2006, officials said, with an eventual anticipated work force of 250 at full production. |
