By Manny Manriquez, General Director
JAMA USA recently released our 2019-2020 annual contributions report, “JAMA in America: An Enduring Partnership”, which highlights our members’ 2018 U.S. economic data. Today, our members build one-third of all vehicles produced in the U.S. This provides more than 93,000 direct American jobs and supports over 1.6 million U.S. jobs throughout the value chain (suppliers, dealerships and services, as well as spin-off employment). Our footprint touches every state in the country, forging a network of enduring partnerships that are a central theme in the success story of Japanese-brand automakers in America.
This success did not happen overnight. Over nearly four decades, Japanese-brand automakers have built up a vast American presence, including:
- Approximately $51 billion in cumulative manufacturing investment
- Over 84 million vehicles produced
- Over $1 trillion in U.S. auto parts purchased
Those impressive figures enable me to talk often about JAMA members’ contributions using economic data. But what strikes me most during my travels around the country are the individual stories of the people I meet:
- The hotel clerk in Georgetown, Kentucky, who appreciates the economic benefits Toyota’s presence means for her job and the broader community
- The dedicated and brilliant people at the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio, which thrives to a large degree due to Honda’s longtime manufacturing and R&D presence
- The staff at the Japan-America Society of Indiana, who understand that the Honda, Subaru, and Toyota auto plants in that state create thousands of jobs and lift up the economic prospects of thousands more across the state
- And there are the students at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Murfreesboro’s Smyrna Campus and Nissan Training Center, where Nissan is a partner supporting skills development for TCAT students and employees of Nissan’s nearby auto plant
These examples reflect the human element behind our members’ local engagement and the 1.6 million U.S. jobs they support. Indeed, the enduring partnerships JAMA members have forged are the building blocks of the American auto industry.
Yet the industry is undergoing dramatic changes. No matter what challenges we face, the auto industry must always evolve, and our members will continue to tap into the unique American spirit to create affordable, fun, and innovative vehicles for current and future generations of drivers and their families.
The JAMA member success story is the result of decades of collaboration between JAMA member companies and multiple generations of American workforce talent. The focus: building cars and trucks that U.S. consumers love. This is the core mission that drives our members’ dedication to the full spectrum of advanced manufacturing, high-tech research and development, and innovative design at facilities around the country.