Suzuki 2012 Annual Report Download - page 16

14 SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
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Suzuki established a corporate planning oce as part of reorganiza-
tion on 1 April 2011. A corporate planning committee identies key
business challenges and discusses pending issues. The corporate
planning oce then coordinates and conceives aspects of the Suzuki
group’s basic policy in line with the results of the committee’s delib-
erations. The corporate planning oce thereby boosts Suzuki’s ability
to swiftly identify key challenges throughout the business and decide
upon action. It is centred on Chairman and Chief Executive Ocer
Osamu Suzuki and four Executive Vice Presidents who were appointed
at a board meeting after a shareholder’s meeting in June 2011. It will
continue to enhance management practices throughout the Suzuki
group.
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Suzuki held a ground-breaking
ceremony for a motorcycle
plant at Carmelray Industrial
Park I near Manila. The new
plant will enable Suzuki to
meet growing demand for
motorcycles in the Philippines.
It has annual production ca-
pacity of 200,000 units and
was built with an investment of about ¥2.1 billion. Production began in
June 2012.
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Suzuki’s motorcycle operations in Japan are concentrated near the
coast in the Tokai region, which scientists say is likely to be hit by an
earthquake. Lessons learned from the tsunami after the Great East
Japan Earthquake in 2011 prompted Suzuki to reduce the risk to its
motorcycle operations and increase their eciency by moving all op-
erations from development to production to an inland part of Hama-
matsu City. The new location is the Miyakoda Industrial Park, which
was developed by Shizuoka Prefecture and Hamamatsu City. Suzuki
decided to build the tentatively named Miyakoda Technical Center for
development and engineering of motorcycles and next-generation
eco-vehicles and the tentatively named Miyakoda Plant for assembly
of motorcycle engines.
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The new Swift made its Indian debut with specications including a
1.2-litre petrol engine, a 1.3-litre diesel engine, and tyres, wheels, and
suspension that are optimized for comfort and handling on Indian
roads. The Swift for India also embodies other design innovations
that meet specically Indian needs. For instance, it has an enlarged
rear seating area because cars in India are frequently used with ev-
ery seating position occupied. Indian sales of the Swift in scal 2011
topped 150,000 units, making the Swift the segment leader after the
Alto. Suzuki added a sedan called the Swift DZire in February 2012.
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Since the Carry made its debut
in Japan in 1961, its combina-
tion of user-friendly engine,
low, roomy load bed, and sturdy
body and chassis have made
it an ideal means of transport
on Japanese roads. Plus, the
Carry is attractively priced and
economical to run. It has established a strong position in the market
for commercial minivehicles. Suzuki marked the Carry’s 50th birthday
by launching the Carry KC Limited. This version is the latest evolution
of a vehicle whose constant economy, durability, and user-friendliness
have made it a much-loved daily work partner for people with busi-
nesses such as shops, farms, and small factories. Cumulative sales of
the Carry reached four million units in January 2010.
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In light of growing demand for automobiles in Vietnam, Suzuki’s local
subsidiary, Vietnam Suzuki, decided to build an automobile plant next
to its motorcycle plant in the Long Binh Industrial Park and transfer
automobile production to the new plant. The new plant is scheduled
to start production in 2013. The company plans to produce about 5,000
cars in the rst year and boost production in the years ahead.
Ground-breaking ceremony
for automobile plant in Long
Binh Industrial Park (April
2012)
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