Nissan president Carlos Ghosn inaugurated the company’s new $200 million St. Petersburg, Russia, assembly plant today. The factory, which began production of the Teana sedan (pictured) and X-Trail SUV, is expected to build about 50,000 vehicles annually for the Russian and Eastern European markets.
“This is Nissan’s breakthrough in Russia,” said Ghosn in a statement. “The opening of our plant in St. Petersburg in the current conditions underlines our confidence in the high potential of the Russian economy. With the start of production at our new plant Nissan become an integral part of the local community.â€
Though the Russian market has proven as volatile as the rest of the world, most analysts expect it to emerge strongly from the economic downturn.
The plant employs 750 workers.
