Japanese automaker Nissan’s North American division is expected to move quickly to select a construction manager to expand and re-tool its Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing complex on the heels of a Jan. 28 announcement that it will receive a $1.4 billion U.S. Dept. of Energy loan to manufacture the LEAF, a zero-emission, all-electric vehicle.
A contractor member of the Associated General Contractors of Tennessee says proposals were “accepted and fully vetted” by Nissan long before the closure of the loan agreement and that the Yokohama-based auto manufacturer is “ready to roll” with construction.