Honorary CBE Awarded for UK/Japan Business Relations
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Makoto Uchida, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has been honored with the title of Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his contributions to business relations between the UK and Japan.
Upon receiving this accolade, Uchida expressed his gratitude by stating, “I am deeply humbled and sincerely thankful to receive this honor from His Majesty King Charles III. The relationship between Nissan and the UK began 40 years ago, and today it continues to be very strong.”
He added, “This award is a testament to our dedicated Nissan employees worldwide and especially those in the UK. Their commitment to designing, engineering, and building vehicles inspires us all.”
Nissan’s journey in the UK started with its Sunderland production site established in 1984. Production commenced two years later in 1986. Over time, Sunderland evolved into a significant export hub for Nissan, becoming one of the largest plants ever seen in UK’s automotive history. With design centers located in London and Cranfield along with parts facilities at Lutterworth plus sales operations based out of Rickmansworth; currently employing around 7,000 people while supporting an additional 30k jobs within their supply chain network across Britain.
In early 2023 during his visit back home again after many successful ventures abroad – Mr.Uchida confirmed plans regarding three new electric vehicle models set forth under EV36Zero blueprint which includes next-gen LEAF alongside future electrified versions both Qashqai & Juke being manufactured right here on British soil!