JACKSON - Gov. Ronnie Musgrove said Wednesday that some companies that will provide parts and services to Nissan's auto assembly plant in Mississippi already are discussing growth in the state.
Musgrove is in Japan this week meeting with Nissan officials, including chief executive Carlos Ghosn, and some of the supplier companies based there.
He met Tuesday with Unipres Corp. officials at their headquarters in Fuji City and also had scheduled meetings at Kasai Kogyo Co. and Calsonic Kansei Corp. - all Nissan suppliers.
"The reception by so many people who have heard about Mississippi sends a great signal," Musgrove said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "Over and over, companies are familiar with the things we're doing."
The governor said some companies already were considering expansion possibilities, but he wouldn't elaborate. "Those announcements would be made at a mutually agreed time," he said.
Nissan plans to begin production next summer at its $930 million assembly plant under construction in Madison County, just north of Jackson.
The Japanese automaker will produce its first full-size pickup truck, a new minivan and larger sport utility vehicle.
Nissan's employment is expected to reach 4,000 at full production. Mississippi and Nissan officials have said suppliers will invest $250 million in Mississippi and hire another 2,000 people.
Kasai Kogyo, parent company of M-TEK Inc., is a tier-one supplier that's building a 219,000-square-foot plant in Madison County. M-TEK will provide interior trim components to Nissan.
Unipres will supply body stampings from a plant in Forest, and Calsonic has chosen Warren County for its parts plant.
Musgrove said Ghosn and other Nissan executives were pleased construction is on schedule in Canton and were optimistic about the prospects of exceeding initial production figures.
Last week, Nissan said it had achieved its best-ever profits under a revival plan with French partner Renault SA.
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