A lot has changed in the last 25 years. Back in the '80s, cell phones were enormous and computers were just something that hardcore nerds had to deal with. Today, your smartphone is integrated into your car, and your new Nissan is packed with computers that help it to drive as efficiently as possible, while also keeping you entertained.
Much of that work came straight out of Nissan Research and Development, which is now appropriately named the Nissan Technical Center of North America, and now, the innovation center is celebrating 25 years of inspiration and invention at its Farmington Hills, Michigan location.
This Farmington Hills location is the main site for the Japanese automaker's R&D efforts, and inside its walls you'll find the homes of the following departments, which employ more than 1,200 people:
- Production engineering
- Research and testing
- Purchasing and quality administration
The facility has been a great resource for the community and has been a great source of employment opportunities. Carla Bailo, Senior Vice President of Research & Development for Nissan Americas, says that more growth is expected down the road. "Our dedicated workforce in the United States remains committed to engineering high-quality vehicles for our ever- increasing consumer base," she explains, "With that sentiment in mind, we are excited to add more engineers to our NTCNA family this year in a continued attempt to engineer vehicles that meet the expectations of Nissan owners."1
Without all of the incredible work that is done at this facility, we wouldn't have the new models here at Lithia Nissan of Ames that our Ames, IA customers know and love, and we can't wait to see what comes from the automaker in the next 25 years!