Subaru Of Indiana Celebrates Milestone

Anthony Fontanelle
September 11, 2007

Japanese automaker Subaru's manufacturing arm in Indiana recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The Subaru of Indian Automotive Inc. is celebrating September 10 as their anniversary and this year is the twentieth. Executives from Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., are in attendance in the celebration of the anniversary of the Indiana plant. Along with FHI top executives, government officials and community leaders are also present.

The SIA was incorporated as a business in the State of Indiana in 1987 as a joint venture between FHI and Isuzu Motors. Today, the plant is wholly-owned by FHI. Last year, the plant produced more than 111,000 units of Subaru vehicles. The Subaru Tribeca, the Outback, and the Legacy are what the assembly facility produces. Aside from these three Subaru vehicles, the SIA will also be producing the Toyota Camry LE under the partnership between FHI and ToMoCo.

The facility will be producing about 140,000 units of vehicles this year according to the automaker. And while American automakers continue to close down plants, the SIA continues to expand and offer more jobs. This year alone, a thousand additional jobs were offered bringing the number of workers that the facility employs to more than 3,300. This is only what the company employs in this particular facility and excludes the number of workers that Subaru hires in other facilities to manufacture auto parts such as the Subaru clutch, shock absorbers, transmission, and other components.

Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman has this to say about the SIA during the ceremony: "We have appreciated SIA’s investment in our state from the beginning. For twenty years now, the company has been a key player in Indiana’s economy. Governor Daniels and I are so thankful SIA calls Indiana home."

One of the top executives of the automaker in attendance is FHI President Ikuo Mori. In his address, he said that the success of the Indiana plant is the result of the input of the different sectors in the community. "I know that it was the hard work and dedication of many SIA and FHI Associates, and the great vision and leadership of government and community leaders, that helped SIA to establish a firm base from which it could grow," he said.

Mr. Mori continued saying that the SIA has adapted to Subaru's way and enumerated some of the facility's achievements. "Subaru has always been known for its innovation and ability to accomplish tasks that were thought to be impossible for one of the smaller companies in the automotive industry. Over the years, SIA Associates have displayed these traits with such achievements as being the industry leader in environmental stewardship, having the safest workplace in the auto industry, being the first auto assembly plant to achieve ISO 9001 and 14001 certification, and earning several awards for TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) activities," he stated.

More than one half of all the vehicles that Subaru has sold in the United States auto market have been manufactured at the SIA. Aside from being sold in the country's market, the vehicles manufactured in Indiana are also shipped to more than twenty countries around the world.

Source:  Amazines.com