Factory inaugurated for Japan cargo van venture
TRUCK AND VAN body maker Centro Manufacturing Corp. yesterday announced it partnered with the Japanese firm Nippon Fruehauf Co. Ltd., to locally manufacture and assemble wing vans.
A wing van is built on a truck body with the cargo area doors opening to the side and upwards, resembling wings.
The truck body builder said it inaugurated its new manufacturing and assembly facility in its plant at Marilao, Bulacan which has a rated capacity of 25 wing vans a month on a single shift.
Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the project will generate business opportunities for the country’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that comprise the majority of Centro’s suppliers.
New jobs will also be generated not only in the new plant but in both upstream and downstream support industries, on top of the fresh investment that will be injected into the project.
“It will also make moving materials and goods across the country easier and less expensive. This is important in supporting the growth of our economy in general and our logistics industry in particular,” the Trade chief added.
Mr. Lopez was with Centro President Raffy Juan, Nippon Fruehauf President Koji Ueno, Isuzu Philippines Corporation President Hajime Koso and Marilao Mayor Juanito Santiago during the inauguration of the Marilao facility.
The project took six months to put together. The Centro-Nippon Fruehauf Agreement was signed in Japan in the presence of President Rodrigo R. Duterte during his visit in October.
The statement noted that the project was “reaffirmed” during the January visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The plant was constructed then inaugurated on April 21.
Mr. Juan explained that the wing van will revolutionize the way “we will transport goods across the 7,100 islands in the Philippines,” as the logistics industry can now move more cargoes at lower cost.
“For our company, we will benefit from the ensuing transfer of new technology and our learning from the best manufacturing practices of our Japanese partner. We are deeply honored to having partnered with the best and the biggest wing van manufacturer in Japan and in the world,” he said.
In its debut appearance at the recent 2017 Isuzu Truck Fest, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) presented its Isuzu G-Cargo wing van made by Centro and Nippon Fruehauf. It is mounted on an Isuzu FVM cab and chassis. —