Suzuki has announced a new five-year "mid-term" strategic management plan that calls for a strengthening of its "management base" as the company heads towards its 100th anniversary in the year 2020.
The company says that in order for the group to "continuously grow" for its next 100 years, it will "globally develop manufacturing bases and overhaul working procedure" as one corporate team to "enhance corporate value and aim for sustainable growth."
Named the "SUZUKI NEXT 100" plan, the basic policy calls for the company to “develop products of superior value by focusing on the customer”, and focus on the selection of products "which clearly define [the] characteristics of Suzuki" in the 150cc and up market, with sport as the backbone.
The company is targeting unit growth in Europe that calls for its present 50,000 level to grow by 40 percent to some 70,000 units by 2019 and by 20 percent to 60,000 units in the United States.
The primary target in growth terms is the high-value northern hemisphere, but with growth in Asia and other emerging markets the company is targeting 2m units in total by 2019 - a 13.6 percent increase from the 1.76m sold in its 2014 fiscal year.
Priorities include a shortening of its development time and the consolidation of manufacturing and a 30 percent increase of productivity at its Hamamatsu, Japan factory.
The company's automotive activities have returned to profit following the downturn, but its motorcycle business continues to lose money, having only managed to post a profit once (100m Yen in 2013) since 2008.
www.globalsuzuki.com
