Nissan Rewards Canton with Sourcing for Next-Generation Murano Crossover

CANTON, Miss. - Nissan  today announced its Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant has earned the sourcing contract to build the next-generation Murano crossover, which comes as Nissan begins celebrating 10 years of manufacturing in Mississippi.

Since it was established in 2003, the Nissan Canton facility has become a cornerstone of Nissan's North American manufacturing operations. Over the past decade, Nissan Canton has grown from building one model to seven, including the award-winning Altima, the Armada full-size SUV, the Xterra mid-size SUV, the Titan and Frontier pickup trucks and NV commercial and passenger vans. 

Introduced in 2002, the Murano has stood out as one of the most distinctively styled vehicles in its class both inside and out. As Nissan's flagship crossover, it remains one of the company's most important vehicles. Beginning in 2014, the Murano will be the eighth vehicle built in Canton and will require several hundred employees for production.

The new Nissan Murano will showcase a progressive crossover design, and the company will unveil styling cues for future Nissan crossovers on a concept vehicle debuting at the North American International Auto Show on Jan. 14.

"As we look back on ten years of manufacturing in Canton, it's become clear throughout the Nissan network that 'Made in Mississippi' is a stamp of quality and great people," said Bill Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas. "With the addition of this new model in Canton, Nissan is well on its way toward meeting our goal to manufacture 85 percent of the vehicles we sell in the U.S. right here in North America."

When the plant opened Nissan became the largest private-sector employer in the region and has since brought even more high-skilled, well-paying jobs to the community while maintaining a diverse workforce that has drawn employees from 80 of Mississippi's 82 counties.  

Today, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant showed support for Canton's growth plans alongside Nissan's senior leadership, hundreds of 10-year plant employees and members of the non-profit and faith-based communities.

"Nissan continues to exceed our expectations, and I greatly value the contributions the company has made in Mississippi," Governor Bryant said. "Over the last ten years, Nissan has had a tremendous economic impact on central Mississippi, has catalyzed our state's automotive industry and has continued to grow its Mississippi operations. I appreciate Nissan's trust in our workforce, and I believe it led to the company's decision to produce the new Murano in Canton, further demonstrating Mississippi's strength as a manufacturing location."

During the past 10 years, Nissan has been a strong community partner as well. The company has contributed more than $5 million to charitable organizations in the Metro Jackson area. Nissan is a proud corporate citizen of the state of Mississippi and remains committed to supporting the communities where its employees live and work.

"A decade ago, we opened the doors of this plant and immediately became one of the region's largest private-sector employers," said Dan Bednarzyk, vice president of manufacturing and plant manager at Nissan Canton.  "To us, that meant we were not only providing thousands of jobs and making a long-term investment to the state and to the region, but that Nissan was also going to become a strong corporate partner in central Mississippi giving back and making a difference in our communities."

For more information on Nissan's story in Mississippi, its employees and community involvement, please visit www.nissan-canton.com. 

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.

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.

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

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Contact Information:
Justin P. Saia
Nissan North America, Inc.
Corporate Communications
615-725-3061
Justin.Saia@nissan-usa.com