BRIEFS: GM to add 110 jobs

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP):

General Motors Co is adding 110 jobs to a Texas factory and investing US$331 million to expand the plant to make full-size sport utility vehicles.

The Arlington, Texas, factory will make Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans, GMC Yukons and Cadillac Escalades. The plant, which currently has 2,400 employees, opened in 1954 and was expanded in 2001 to 3.75 million square feet.

Aside from the facility expansion, some of the investment money will be used for manufacturing machinery and equipment.

Last Thursday's news is part of an effort GM announced May 10 to create or keep about 4,000 jobs by investing US$2 billion in 17 factories in eight states.

Honda sees normality

DETROIT (AP):

Honda's North American factories will return to near-normal production in August, the company said last Thursday, much faster than expected following supply disruptions.

The flow of auto parts was interrupted after Japanese factories were damaged by a huge earthquake and tsunami on March 11, or stricken by the power outages that followed. Shortages have affected nearly every carmaker, but have struck hardest at Honda Motor Co and Toyota Motor Corp.

Last month, Honda cut production to about half the normal level because of falling parts supplies. It warned dealers of model shortages and said full production might not resume until the end of the year.

Japan exports sag

TOKYO (AP):

Japan's
exports dropped in April, bearing the brunt of the March 11 earthquake
and tsunami, which destroyed factories and caused massive production
losses across the nation.

Exports
fell 12.5 per cent year-on-year - the biggest drop in 18 months - to
5.16 trillion yen (US$62.8 billion), the finance ministry said
Wednesday. Imports rose 8.9 per cent to 5.62 trillion yen, resulting in a
trade deficit for the first time in three months.

Land Rover limelight

Land
Rover is now pushing the boundaries of its traditional customer
communication with the latest offering from its Range Rover Evoque Pulse
of the City project; an interactive Hollywood-inspired film about
choices.

Filmed in Los Angeles, Being Henry
is a fun, interactive and engaging film that brings to life the
unparalleled variety of options available with the Range Rover Evoque.
Just like the car has been developed to stand out from the crowd, the
film presents the consumer with a number of unexpected and exhilarating
adventures to engage with, inviting them into the urban world of the
Pulse of the City.