Summit SPA Motors Ltd. opens a bus and truck service station in Myanmar

Sumitomo Corporation and the Serge Pun & Associates (SPA) Group, one of the country's leading conglomerate enterprises, established a joint venture company, Summit SPA Motors Ltd. (SSM) in 2013. SSM has finally opened an authorized service station for buses and trucks manufactured by Hino Motors, Ltd., in Yangon, Myanmar. An opening ceremony was held on April 30, a hot day on which the daytime high exceeded 35 degrees Celsius, at the new establishment in Myanmar's largest city, with a total of 250 people, including government representatives, in attendance.

The service center will provide a full range of after-sale services for buses and trucks, which is indispensable for transport operations, using Hino's skills and vehicle parts, with the aim of not only accommodating Hino but also a broad array of many other brands. To offer high-quality maintenance and repair services, the station employs around 10 auto mechanics who had previously received training in Japan.

Sumitomo Corporation has a long history of conducting business in Myanmar in partnership with Hino that can be traced back to the 1950s, when the company first started exporting buses produced by commercial vehicle manufacturers to the country. Having obtained support from the Myanmar government, the project has expanded to include local production of buses and trucks, specifically, parts manufacturing and vehicle assembly, which resulted in delivery of a total of 20,000 units over more than 30 years up to 1988. Some of the vehicles manufactured during this period are still running in the country.

In the opening ceremony, Takahiko Taniyama, managing director of SSM said, "Trucks are an essential item for the economic development of Myanmar. We will be able to directly help the local economy through improved efficiency in trucking operations by offering quality repair services." Following the initial step of this plan, SSM plans to expand the after-sale service business by launching a second center in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, as well as introducing the provision of a visiting service in which mechanics and highly-equipped trucks will be utilized in addition to center-based operations. Through this business, we will continue working to contribute to Myanmar's developing economy.