WILLIAMSTOWN - Hino Motors Manufacturing USA is continuing to grow in production numbers and employees at the Williamstown assembly facility on W.Va. 14.
"We have recently added approximately 20 non-permanent employees," said Sandy Ring, vice president and general counsel for Hino in its Michigan home office.
The truck manufacturing plant is making 34 trucks a day, five-days-a-week. This is increased from the three days of production of sometimes less than 20 trucks last year because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011.
Last year's production was drastically cut after the natural disasters caused a shortage of parts for Japanese car and truck manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and world.
Hino is part of the Toyota vehicle family based in Japan.
In December it was announced the plant would increase production.
At the 34 trucks a day, the plant is working at its highest capacity since the facility opened in the summer of 2007.
The company plans to continue to increase the number of trucks built with an expected 38 to be produced by the end of March. With this added work, the plant may be adding more employees in the future, Ring said.
"We are studying a number of sales forecasts and production options," he said. "It is possible that we will hire additional non-permanent employees - but no decision has been made."
The plant employs about 200 people.
If the plant does hire, it will be through Manpower in Parkersburg, which has handled the process since the company moved to the Mid-Ohio Valley. Interested job seekers are asked to periodically check with Manpower for updates on Hino's hiring status, Ring said.
