The six automakers with U.S. operations based in Orange County combined to employ 2,279 workers here, 3.2% more than a year earlier, according to this week’s Business Journal list.
The six—a mix of Japan- and South Korea-based brands and one home-grown operation that’s largely dormant for now—accounted for 1.4 million vehicles sold in the U.S. during the 12-month period that ended June 30.
That’s up 5.9% from the same period a year ago, a gain that reflects a strong market nationally.
A total of 15.6 million new vehicles were sold in the U.S. in 2013, a 7.6% year-over-year increase (see Auto Dealers story, page 27; list, below). The industry looks to be in line for another healthy gain this year, with unit sales on pace to reach 16.8 million by the end of the year, which would come to an increase of nearly 8%.
Hyundai
• Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America Inc., the largest automaker with operations here, sold 724,207 vehicles during the 12-month period. Chief Executive John Krafcik stepped down last December and joined the board of Santa Monica-based TrueCar Inc. He was replaced by then-Executive Vice President of Sales David Zuchowski.
The automaker, part of Hyundai Kia Automotive Group in South Korea, started this year with a move to its North America headquarters from a temporary office in Costa Mesa. The $200 million office campus in Fountain Valley hosts about 1,000 workers, approximately even with a year earlier.
Hyundai launched its 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell hydrogen-powered vehicle in June, available for lease through three Hyundai dealers—Tustin Hyundai, Hardin Hyundai in Anaheim, and Win Hyundai in Carson.
Mazda
• Mazda North American Operations was No. 2 on the list with 475 employees at its Irvine office. The automaker sold 295,433 vehicles, a 6.2% year-over-year increase.
The boost in sales was helped along by Mazda’s “Game Changers” marketing campaign, dubbed the biggest since “zoom-zoom” debuted in 2000.
Garage Team Mazda in Costa Mesa created the ads, which compares Mazda’s CX-5 and Mazda 6 vehicles to real-life “game changers,” such as actor Bruce Lee.
The automaker in September revealed the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the fourth generation of the roadster. It also introduced the 2016 Mazda CX-3 compact crossover SUV at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show last month.
“So far, everyone has said it’s a perfect fit within our CX lineup,” said Russell Wager, Mazda’s vice president of marketing. The “CX 5 is just a little bit bigger for some people, and CX 3 is perfect for singles or families with no kids and has all the SkyActiv technology and Kodo design that all of our vehicles have. There’s not a lot of competitors in this segment, but there is an awful lot of people launching into it, so our timing is perfect.”
Kia
• Kia Motors America Inc. took the No. 3 spot with 300 employees working out of its Irvine office. The automaker sold 277,351 vehicles in the U.S. market. That’s up 7.2%.
Kia launched a K900 luxury sedan last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It signed Cleveland Cavaliers’ power forward LeBron James as the K900’s “Luxury Ambassador.” He appears in the automaker’s “Fit for a King” marketing campaign, which launched in October.
“This may be what Kia needs as the K900, while a very fine vehicle, is off to a slow start,” said Eric Ibara, senior analyst at Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book. “With Mr. James, Kia has assembled a noteworthy group of athletes whose success, Kia hopes, rubs off on its brand.”
• Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. employs 275 at its headquarters in Cypress. The automaker placed No. 4 on the list with 71,430 vehicles sold in the U.S. That’s up 29%.
A 10-month streak of year-over-year sales increases was fueled by the addition of the Mirage and by updating the Outlander, according to the company’s president and chief executive, Ryujiro Kobashi, who Mitsubishi brought on in March to replace Yoichi Yokozawa.
The North America division is “on target to be profitable this year,” said Don Swearingen, the automaker’s executive vice president of sales.
Mitsubishi is currently working on boosting its vehicle lineup, the company announced last month. In April it plans to introduce the new Outlander model, which will feature attributes of the PHEV concept vehicle, a “next-generation compact crossover that blends the functionality of an SUV … (the) performance of a sports coupe and the drivetrain of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.”
A Mirage sedan is also in the works, Swearingen said.
• Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc., a newcomer to the list, placed No. 5. It employs 180 at its Anaheim office, which is the U.S. headquarters for the commercial truck division of Isuzu Motors Ltd. in Tokyo. Isuzu Commercial sold about 21,000 vehicles in the U.S. during the 12-month period that ended June 30.
Fisker
• Fisker Automotive Inc., No. 6, designed and sold several thousand of its luxury-hybrid Karma vehicles, according to industry estimates, before it entered bankruptcy in 2013.
A unit of China-based Wanxiang Group Corp. recently bought the company’s assets out of bankruptcy for about $150 million and appears to be in the process of restarting operations as Fisker Automotive and Technology LLC. Fisker employs an estimated 21 workers at its Costa Mesa office.
