Tamiya expands in Cebu with P1.5B production plant!

Tamiya Philippines Inc. is pouring another PHP 1.5 billion to construct a new facility inside the Cebu Light Industrial Park.

File photo: Tamiya Dyipne

Tamiya wants to boost local production

In a statement, the DTI said Tamiya Chairman and President Shunsaku Tamiya confirmed the company’s widely reported decision to set up a new facility that is targeted to start operations by September 2023. 

The Japanese group of companies already owned a factory in the Philippines particularly located in the Mactan Process Zone in Cebu. This factory designs, manufactures, and packages kits inside a 40,000 square meter facility and employs more than a thousand workers. 

As of writing, the operations in Cebu export USD 23 million worth of products. According to Tamiya Japan, the new factory would increase output by 5 percent over three years and grow capacity by 20 percent depending on demand. 

With a share of 65 percent, Japan receives the majority of this output. Meanwhile, the United States accounts for 12 percent of exports, Germany for 10 percent, the United Kingdom for 7 percent, Thailand for 2 percent, and Hong Kong for 2 percent. The remaining 4 percent is made up of other markets.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said Tamiya’s planned investment showcases the quality and efficiency of Filipino workers.  He added,

The fact that Tamiya has been operating in the country for about 30 years and is now moving forward with expansion plans despite the challenges of the pandemic, is a testament to the enabling environment that President Rodrigo R. Duterte together with his economic managers have set up for foreign direct investors.

Tamiya Philippines creates high-quality hobby items such as miniature model kits and radio-controlled cars, as well as metal molds, printing, and packaging. For example, it launched the "Dyipne" Mini 4WD kit in 2019. 

The Tamiya Dyipne is inspired by the Philippine Jeepneys, the most popular means of public transportation in the country. To put it simply, it looks like the colorful Jeepneys roaming around the roads of Quiapo, Makati, Paranaque, and other popular places in the Philippines.

Source: Business World