i n d u s t r y n ews
Customer Centric Hino
ups the Ante
At the official opening of the new Hino (pronounced “he
know”) plant in Prospecton, Durban on 21 May 2014,
chairman of the board of Hino Motors Limited, Masakazu
Ichikawa, said that globally the two central values for Hino
are 1) uptime, and 2) minimal vehicle lifetime cost.
We’ll Keep on Trucking
Ichikawa’s message was reinforced by president and CEO Dr
Johan van Zyl, who confirmed that the new Hino plant equated to
an investment of R55 million. Van Zyl added that this investment,
together with the investment in technical training and parts
support, put meat on the slogan “We’ll Keep on Trucking”.
And when added to the investments at the Toyota plant in
Prospecton over the previous few years, these investments
amounted to over R1,6 billion in Toyota’s commitment to the
country. Hino’s dealers are also coming to the party, with
dealership upgrades of over R100 million in the past year.
All good news for the current and future owners of Hino trucks.
With a production capacity of 5 000 units per annum on a single
shift, the headcount of 109 remains unchanged, but the volume
can be increased at the drop of a hat, if required, and extra models
can be added to the 31 derivatives of the Dyna to the Hino 300-,
500- and 700-Series – all assembled on one main conveyer line.
As they say in Japan, it is
(Torakkin tsuzukeru).
➲ The first Hino comes off the assembly line
T
his was the core of his message at the opening
ceremony, where he lauded Toyota SA’s role in flying
the Hino flag in South Africa, and by extension as
one of 19 Hino plants across the globe, flying the Hino flag
globally. He also stressed that while South Africa’s market is
relatively small (Hino SA sold 3 461 units in 2013, contributing
to the 162 000 units worldwide), it is a critical market and very
important for Hino’s global success.
He added that South Africa is a challenging market, with
competition from many brands, and that key to Hino’s
success were the elements of reasonable price, reliability,
excellent after sales service, affordable parts pricing, driver
training (particularly around economical driving), and Hino’s
highest priority – reducing the lifetime cost of the vehicle.
| logistics in action
➲ Chairman of the board of Hino Motors Limited, Masakazu Ichikawa
66
JUNE 2014