Global Spotlight focuses on employees from the Mitsubishi Companies, who are excelling in their respective fields around the world. In each issue we will get to know different employees, who will tell us about their hometowns, businesses, culture, and past-times.
Note1 : Scotland’s most popular tourist attraction.
Ben Nevis © Britainonview
Loch Ness Monster, “Nessie”© Fortean/ AFLO
Scotland, the northern part of the island of Great Britain covers over 30,000 square miles of land, including over 600 square miles of freshwater lochs.
      It is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the North Sea and on the south by an approximate 60 mile land border with England. There are 790 islands around Scotland’s shores with only around 10% inhabited. The largest groups of these inhabited islands are Shetland and Orkney to the north and the Hebrides to the west which include Lewis, Barra, Harris, Skye and Mull.
      The resident population of Scotland is over 5,000,000 with 500,000 being resident in the capital city, Edinburgh.
      Scotland’s scenery and rugged grandeur gives rise to a number of outdoor sports including climbing, fishing, hill walking, skiing, athletics and mountain biking. There are also the more traditional sports like tossing the caber, and competitive highland dancing but by far the most popular sports are football (soccer) and golf both played by many at professional and amateur level.
      On any summer or winter weekend you will find many Mitsubishi employees taking part either individually for leisure, competitively as club members or as spectators watching the professionals in their favourite sport.
    Walk the shores of Loch Ness and if your luck is in and “Nessie is in a good mood” she may offer a photographic opportunity or the more energetic may enjoy a long climb to the top of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain.
    Located in Livingston, approximately 10 miles west of Edinburgh city centre, the company employs 520 people and is one of the largest employers in the district.
    Working in conjunction with the other Mitsubishi Electric factories
based in Japan, Thailand and China, the products we manufacture here in Scotland cater for the entire European market. We place great emphasis on the value and importance of producing the highest quality air conditioning systems possible. Our years of experience are complemented with the latest manufacturing and testing technology that money can buy. Our continued effort and investment has gained us accreditation in both the ISO9000 and ISO14001 standards, which ensure we work to the highest standards whilst minimising waste, recycling and reducing consumption of resources wherever possible.
Manufacturing facility for outdoor product
      Our company policy serves to underline our aims and objectives and ensures that we continue to manufacture market leading products to suit the demands of today’s customers. At M-ACE we strive to:
      • Be the best by delivering top quality products on time
      • Constantly improve all elements of our service and the job we do
      • Make our working environment a safe and pleasant place in which to work
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Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) builds quality vehicles for the world at its only American auto plant in Normal, Illinois. With its “sister-city” Bloomington, the community has a population of 100,000 people, set in some of America’s most fertile farmland. ( The town is located in McLean County, which produces more corn and soy beans than any other county in America.) Why is such a location good for auto manufacturing? Bloomington/Normal is located at the intersection of three major United States highways and is also provided excellent rail and air service. So, even though the plant is more than 100 miles from the big City of Chicago, logistics are excellent. MMNA Manufacturing currently builds the Mitsubishi Galant, Eclipse, Eclipse Spyder, and Endeavor for the U.S., as well as for export to almost 20 countries in North America, South America, the Persian Gulf, and parts of Eastern Europe. Next year, production will transition to the Outlander Sport small crossover utility vehicle (known as ASX or RVR elsewhere in the world.)
    This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Mitsubishi Motors operations in the American market in 1981. From the first car (sold in 1981) until today, Mitsubishi Motors has been committed to offering cars that are truly fun to drive. Sold through a national network of about 400 dealerships, our cars provide a unique blend of spirited performance, inspired design, and durability. MMNA Manufacturing, in Normal, was established as Diamond Star Motors, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Motors and
Chrysler Corporation, the first cars rolling off the line in 1988. Since that time, the facility has become wholly owned by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, but the majority of our 1,200 employees are still members of the United Auto Workers (UAW). This makes MMNA manufacturing the only American plant other than Ford, Chrysler, and GM to utilize a UAW work force.
    I was born in Bloomington and have lived here most of my life. In fact, my grandfather was the Sheriff of Bloomington in the 1930s and my family owned a Pepsi Cola bottling plant and distributorship here for more than 50 years. When Diamond Star Motors held its grand opening celebration in 1988, I attended as the news director of a local radio station and reported on the event. How could I know that I would become an employee of MMNA at the same plant just ten years later !? I believe that my “home” community has adopted Mitsubishi Motors as a “local” business. Similarly, MMNA is a good “citizen.” For example, we contribute a new vehicle every year as the grand prize in a seat belt awareness program for local high school students. Also, we provide softball fields on MMNA property that are used by local amateur softball and baseball teams, as well as teams of local high schools and colleges.
It’s an exciting time for Mitsubishi Motors North America. Not only are sales on the increase, late in 2011 we will begin limited sales of the all-electric Mitsubishi “ i ”, known as i-MiEV in other parts of the world. Hundreds of American consumers submitted pre-orders for the “ i ” within a few days of the launch of the pre-order process. Bloomington/Normal, the home of MMNA Manufacturing, has embraced environmental sustainability and the vehicle technology of the future in a very big way. Community government, businesses, and other institutions have established the Bloomington/Normal EV Task Force to rapidly deploy electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure with a target of putting 1,000 electric vehicles on Bloomington/Normal streets by 2014. For our part, Mitsubishi Motors has committed to providing up to that number of “ i ” all-electric vehicles for businesses and consumers in the community. Local residents want the community to be known as “EV Town” around the world, and Mitsubishi Motors will do our part!
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