Isuzu Motors builds first Mexican plant

Japanese truck manufacturer Isuzu Motors Ltd. will build its first plant in Latin America by mid-2009, expecting the region’s extensive need for infrastructure development to translate into robust demand. The company said it would spend several hundred million yen to build a knockdown plant for four-ton mid-size trucks in the Mexican suburb of Cuautitlan. The factory is set to initially turn out about 600 units annually, which will be gradually increased. Isuzu is also considering shipping pick-ups to Chile from its Thai plant. (February 16, 2009)