Hino could fill void left by GM
By Jody Murphy, Special to The TimesGeneral Motors' decision to cease production of its medium-duty trucks could be an opening for Hino Motors.
Last month, GM, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection, announced in early June it was ceasing production of its medium-duty truck line by July 31.
Sandy Ring, general manager of external and legal affairs for Hino Motors Manufacturing USA, said the news could be a positive for Hino.
"It creates some gap in the marketplace," he said.
Tim Matheny, president of Matheny Motors, said GM's decision has affected about 450 medium-duty truck dealers nationwide, including Matheny Motors.
"It was a significant event for our dealership," he said.
"It is an opportunity for Hino, along with the remaining dealers," Matheny added. "Hopefully, it will be a great opportunity for Hino."
Hino's Williamstown facility is the company's only truck facility in the United States. The company, a division of Toyota, also has a plant in Canada and another in Mexico that is expected to begin operations soon.
Matheny said GM will dissolve franchises over the next 18 months. By October 2010, the company will establish some service points to support the trucks. Matheny Motors, which is still a GM light and heavy duty truck dealer, is a likely candidate to become a service point, according to Matheny.
In addition to carrying GM, Matheny also sells Hino and Isuzu trucks.
Ring admitted Hino, like GM, has not been immune to economic woes.
"It is fair to say the economy has been tough on the transportation sector overall and we have not been immune to that," he said.
In March, Hino announced a wage freeze for hourly workers and a temporary wage reduction for the salaried workers in Williamstown. In April, the company eliminated about 10 positions due to economic conditions, according to Ring.
Ring said the company is focused on the Japanese concept of "kaizen" (continuous improvement) to refine its processes and become more efficient. And he expects things to improve down the road.
"We have taken this opportunity to try to improve ourselves," he said.
"Overall, the trucking industry should be on the edge of a recovery. Current economic conditions notwithstanding, Hino is optimistic about the long-term future and committed to its presence in Williamstown."
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GuardianAngel
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07-11-09 11:34 PM
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This valley needs much more medium industry. Hino is a great start. Face it heavy industry is almost a thing of the past. And everyone doesn't want the pollution that always comes with it. Tourism sure ain't carrying the valley. Though tourism does help some. What do you think, that we can all start a business on the internet and be rich? Or how about being drug entrepreneurs as the three busted on the front page? I for one, am very thankful for Hino. Honest jobs with decent pay and benefits. Hope they continue to grow and hire my friends and/or neighbors. I doubt if you will ever see a bailout there.
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bwc511
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07-10-09 10:21 PM
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The Times does not censor Jap, but it does censor r e d n e c k?????
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asknot
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07-10-09 8:50 PM
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SimonSaid what?
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Orchardfarmer
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07-10-09 5:11 PM
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Let me see... complain if a company moves jobs overseas... and complain about buying from a foreign-owned company that has moved jobs from Japan to America -- Is that the Marietta way?
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bwc511
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07-10-09 4:41 PM
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Is there a problem with not being "the most powerful." Lots of countries have excellenet standards of living (even higher and better than... yes, the USA) and not a bit of power.
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Indian
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07-10-09 4:13 PM
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The people posting here have the answer to every single problem coming and going. Please run for an office or get involved and get in charge of something. You have my support.
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bwc511
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07-10-09 2:53 PM
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Marlins55... you make jokes about socialism. Next, you complain about capitalism because it depends on international trade to exist. Do you even know what the two mean?
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bancomicsans
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07-10-09 2:13 PM
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You guys crack me up. We depend on the a US Gov't run business every day for our mail and I NEVER hear a peep from any of you. The gov't steps in an helps GM out and everyone is just up in arms about how "the gov't has no business owning a business." Then you had better find another mail carrier if you're that serious about it.
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scandalous
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07-10-09 12:05 PM
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@Marlins55 fair enough, and agreed. I haven't been on here much lately so I hadn't picked up on your political orientation to know it was a joke. My bad.
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Marlins55
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07-10-09 12:02 PM
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...that was a socialism joke...our government has no business owning businesses!!
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scandalous
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07-10-09 12:00 PM
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@Marlins55 And where are a lot of the parts made for GM products? Mexico. And China. They had to, to keep the retail price of their cars competitive due to labor here costing more. That's the thing-- there are two issues to what makes a vehicle "mostly" one nation or another-- the parts and the assembly. If we made all of the parts and had them assembled in Mexico, overall, we might likely have more jobs here for from making the parts. I don't think we'll ever again have the wholly US vehicle. It's sort of a Nazi purity of genetics vision whose time has come to pass. The company where I work makes something that no one else in the world makes. 90% of our sales are exports to other countries. If other countries stopped importing our product there would be a lot of US jobs lost. The fairness works both ways. I think our goal should be to export as much as we import, instead of thinking not to import anything. That way stuff the US makes can be exported.
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Marlins55
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07-10-09 11:47 AM
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...can't get more american than GM now that it's a company owned BY THE PEOPLE, for????? the people!!
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scandalous
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07-10-09 11:44 AM
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@telefonica Hear Hear! If we closed our borders our country would suffer such incredible inflation and shortage we would implode very quickly.
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scandalous
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07-10-09 11:40 AM
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@peppie a study out last summer said, of all things, the Toyota Camry was a more american vehicle than any GM or Chevy vehicle. More parts made in the USA. Believe it or not.
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peppie
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07-10-09 10:21 AM
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I drive by Hino three evenings a week and each time I look a the lot full of trucks. I remember when Hino worked two shifts and now only work one full shift. As for buying American vahicles, most of the parts come from oversea's. How American is the vehicle you buy?
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mattelliott
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07-10-09 10:08 AM
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We have been evolving into a 3RD World country, since the first day Bill Clinton took office. The Liberal press (at that time) laughed at Ross Perot when he said, "the giant sucking sound we were going to hear would be the jobs leaving America". He was 100% correct !! Communist & Dictatorship countries like China & the middle east oil suppliers, now control us. Not a single shot was fired.... Exactly as the USSR (Russia) predicted 40 years ago. Amazing !!!!!!!!!
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Marlins55
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07-10-09 10:07 AM
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Who said anything about only buying american?? Im just wandering about the practice of running businesses across oceans...both ways...
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telefonica
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07-10-09 9:53 AM
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If we only consumed what we produced by "only buying American" we would be far worse off than we are now. Take an Econ class sometime.
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Marlins55
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07-10-09 9:25 AM
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...yep, let's support outsourcing by other countries into our own...does this mean we're a third world country??
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