Nissan CEO: Honmoku is "The Benchmark"

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn punctuated the automaker'€™s recovery from the natural disasters that struck Japan in March, visiting an important port that kept its car parts and vehicles moving during the crisis.

 In the wake of the twin calamities, staff from overseas plants converged at the global logistic nerve center near Nissan's Yokohama headquarters to help sort out parts allocation and share existing supplies.

Ghosn said Honmoku'™s response to the crisis showed how essential it is to Nissan.

"€œNissan was one of the companies which has responded the fastest and in the most efficient way to what happened after the earthquake,"€ said Ghosn.

œ"This is obviously due to you, due to many people inside the company who are engaged in the company and reacted very quickly and in a way that is very cross-functional and cross-regional in order to limit the damage of this natural disaster."

Moving autos and auto parts has been Honmoku's brief since opening in 1967, with exports running the gamut from early Datsuns to the latest Infinitis and Patrols now.

Honmoku wharf sees 300 containers and 1,000 trucks daily, and along with the company's supply bases in Kyushu, Aichi and Fuji is part of a crucial export chain.

 The CEO said such exports and parts shipment are a major element of what will make Nissan's POWER 88 growth plan successful.

"We are the benchmark here. I've seen on many key indicators with other companies that we are at the top level in terms of productivity, in terms of cost, in terms of speed," Ghosn said.

"We are at the top level and I would like to congratulate you for this and I would like to encourage you to continue to be at the top level."

The CEO's visit Saturday came as Nissan and other automakers try to cut back energy consumption by 15 percent, a new challenge for staff at Honmoku and other Japanese centers as global demand ramps up further.
http://nissannews.com/pressrelease/2675/1/nissan-ceo-honmoku-benchmark