Nissan, Canton Employees Pledge $354,000 to United Way

CANTON, Miss. – Nissan and employees at its Canton vehicle assembly plant have pledged to contribute $354,400 to United Way in 2013, beginning with a $25,000 contribution to United Way of the Capital Area. Since 2005, Nissan and its employees have contributed a total of more than $3.5 million to United Way chapters in Mississippi.

“One of the privileges of being on the Canton team is the opportunity to support United Way and other community betterment organizations. We do that through our contributions as well as employee volunteerism and it makes me especially proud to work with a group of employees that are so generous and supportive of helping others in the community,” said Dan Bednarzyk, vice president of manufacturing for Nissan’s Canton vehicle assembly plant.

United Way of the Capital Area focuses its efforts in the areas of education, income and health across Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. United Way collaborates with community and business partners and supports initiatives in all three focus areas.  “Our strategy is to invest, advocate and leverage resources in order to solve problems at their root causes. In 2011-2012, United Way invested more than $1.5 million to provide opportunities for families in the tri-county area. The longstanding support of Nissan and its employees is vital to our work in this community,” said Carol Burger, President and CEO, United Way of the Capital Area.

Nissan's Canton plant is celebrating the 10th anniversary of operations in 2013. Since 2003, the company and its generous employees have contributed more than $7 million to community organizations. In addition, Nissan employees are active volunteers in numerous community service organizations. Employee Phillip Street serves on the Capital Area board of directors, and Greg Gibb chaired the 2012 Nissan employee campaign.

“Nissan allowed me the opportunity to visit a United Way agency last fall, and see firsthand how United Way is able to serve the community through our contributions,” said Nissan Canton Body Assembly employee, Jason Evans. “Giving is such a great way to help others and to build a better place for our families. I'm always excited to see how we do in the pledge drive.”

The Canton vehicle assembly plant employs more than 5,000 people with an annual payroll in excess of $200 million. Nissan has announced plans to move assembly of the next-generation Nissan Murano to Canton from Japan beginning in 2014. Canton employees currently build the award-winning Altima, the Armada full-size SUV, the Xterra mid-size SUV, the Titan and Frontier pickup trucks, the NV commercial and passenger vans and this spring will begin building the all-new Sentra compact sedan.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.8 million vehicles in 2011, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($118.95 billion US). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

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Media Contact:

Camille Young
Nissan North America
(601) 594-0945
camille.young2@nissan-usa.com