Hino to Build Trucks in West Virginia

Hino Motors Mfg. U.S.A. Inc. plans to assemble medium- and heavy-duty trucks at a former parts plant in Williamstown, WV.

Hino will invest $8.6 million to upgrade and tool up a former Walker Systems facility for the production of 2,500 trucks annually beginning in November.

About 80 workers will be employed at the 194,000-sq.-ft. (18,023 sq.-m) plant located on a 30.4-acre (12.3-ha) site.

The Hino plant represents the first vehicle assembly operation in West Virginia.

Hino USA currently employs more than 930 workers. A subsidiary of Japan’s Hino Motors Ltd., it has invested $321.2 million in the U.S. thus far, with headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI; and component operations in Ontario, CA, and Marion, AK, that supply Toyota Motor Corp., which owns a controlling interest in Hino.

Hino also builds trucks at its TABC Inc. subsidiary in Long Beach, CA.

The new plant marks the second investment announced by Hino in as many months. In May, the truck maker said it would spend $70 million to add equipment at the 400,000-sq.-ft. (37,160-sq.-m) Marion facility.