The growth strategy for Nissan's Global Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) Line-Up comprises a comprehensive plan for selling increased numbers of LCVs in more markets worldwide. New as many of these initiatives are, they are defined by Nissan's age old commitment and policy of placing customer requirements at the heart of the business development and delivery process across regions.
To emphasise the LCV unit’s role in the future growth of Nissan, our President and CEO Carlos Ghosn announced on 13th May, 2008 that the Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (LCV BU) will continue to be a breakthrough driver, during the GT 2012, our new, mid term Business Plan.
This new plan, namely the Nissan GT 2012 Plan, emphasises growth (G) and trust (T). Bold targets have been set in the Nissan GT 2012 mid-term business plan for the LCV BU, which include a doubling of LCV sales revenue by 2012 as compared to 2007 and achieving top level customer satisfaction performance in the global LCV market during the same period. We are fully committed to the targets set in the current mid term business plan. To grow our business further we will need to continue focusing on unmet needs of the LCV customers around the world, offering them products that are smart and reliable partners for their daily professional endeavours.
At the heart of our new mid term business plan is substantial investment in new products. We will launch 13 all new light commercial vehicles by the end of 2012 and explore new markets as well.
Our future growth path and strategies are best explained by the acronym LEAP and its attributes.
L = Launching new products is key to serve more customers and meet their ever changing needs. We will keep our line-up within the limit of 8 ton gross vehicle weight, to make sure we focus on our key ability. In keeping with our GT 2012 plan commitment we will launch 13 all new products, globally.
E = Enhancing quality will be a key focus for us through the value chain of each product. We will not only seek the highest quality for our final products, but we will also look to incorporate quality at every stage, from the vehicle concept and design, all through the production, sales and after sales.
A = Access to new markets. Following our success in China, which accounted for the largest number of LCV sales in fiscal year 2007 we plan to explore other emerging markets like India, Russia and Brazil as well as developed markets like USA. Nissan will start LCV sales in Russia in September 2008, in the U.S. during 2010 and in India in 2010-11. These new markets will be an addition to the number of markets where we already operate around the world. Today we operate in 73% of the global markets.
P = Partnerships. Finally, we are open to partnerships. We have demonstrated it with Mazda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks. This approach is evident once again in our decision to cooperate with Ashok Leyland on a wide scale in India. We are also nurturing our cooperation and engagement with Renault Trucks, Cummins and ZF with different OEM agreements. Our collaboration is based on a deep common trust for the benefit of the two companies in a true “win-win” spirit. Obviously at the heart of our commitment to Partnerships, is our deep and on-going alliance with Renault.
Clearly, the LCV BU will be a key contributor to Nissan’s growth and expansion plans worldwide. We have invested in the creation of new products and have forged several key alliances with strategic partners to deliver wider choice and best products worldwide. We have organised a global production blueprint to maximise our efficiency. By sourcing talents and resources worldwide we have invested in the process of building a truly globalised company which can remain responsive to customer needs across regions and create tangible and lasting value for them.
