LAEM Chabang, Thailand—A Mitsubishi-owned car parts supplier based in Canlubang, Laguna is playing a major role in the Japanese car maker’s pickup and SUV exports.

Takeo Sakurai, corporate general manager, at Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co. Ltd. (MMTh) said Mitsubishi Motors Thailand sources all its transmissions parts from its sister company in Philippines, the Asian Transmission Corp. (ATC).

ATC is a joint-venture project of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Sojitz Corp., two of the largest conglomerates in Japan. The company manufactures transmission assembly and parts as well as the automotive engines of the Mitsubishi vehicles including the Pajero, L-300 wagon, L-200 pickup and Adventure.

For the MMTh, ATC ships out drive train parts for the Triton pickup and a soon-to-be-launched sport utility vehicle that Mitsubishi Motors Philippines expects to become another bestseller.

The impressive 20-billion baht MMTh facility in Laem Chabang, north of Bangkok, occupies 813,776 square meters and serves as global production base for Mitsubishi. It’s 4,164 employees produce more than 150,000 units of various pickup and SUV models.

The MMTh engine factory within the complex was established in May 2008 and was expanded from the assembly plant. It has an annual production capacity of 240,000 units that not only supplies MMTh assembly plants, but also is exported to parent company, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. of Japan. 

For his part, MMTH Export Operation and Planning Division’s Shin Ito said, “The demand for our engines is increasing year by year. In order to realize the world-class quality and manufacturing efficiency, we implemented various improvements. Both Mitsubishi assembly plants and engine plant are constructed under the concept “Friendly with Environment and Lean Manufacturing.”

“The new [vehicle] that we showed [to the group of Philippine motoring journalists recently] will determine our future,” he added.

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Due Diligencer