By Jacki Moss

Special to the Tribune

The rain poured and the thunder roared as a large crowd of local, state, national, and foreign dignitaries celebrated Meiwa Industry Co. Ltd.'s groundbreaking Wednesday morning. But if Allen Borden, Assistant Commissioner of Tennessee Economic and Community Development, is correct, the more it rained, the better it got. "We have a saying here in Tennessee, that when it rains on a groundbreaking, it means good luck."

Toshihiko Shizimu, president of Meiwa, spoke prior to the ribbon cutting, telling the group he was happy to be here celebrating the start of the new construction of the Lewisburg industry, adding, that it had been his "desire for many years to come to the United States. Thanks to the great effort of the city of Lewisburg, Marshall County, the government of Tennessee and everyone concerned, as we celebrate the groundbreaking of our first U.S. plant." Shimizu continued, "We look forward to providing lightweight, high-rigidity and eco-friendly interior parts for car manufacturers throughout North America." He expressed his appreciation to Lewisburg and to Tennessee "for their kind support and assistance."

Shimizu noted that Meiwa plans to begin operations in 2014, with a capital investment of $6.1 million and the creation of 100 local jobs within five years. They anticipate employing 25 people in its first year.

Motohiko Kato, Consul-General of Japan, said that he was "looking forward to the partnership" between Meiwa and the city and state and "eager to work together in this long-term commitment." He also spoke about the company being a part of the Lewisburg and helping the community thrive and prosper.

State Representative Billy Spivey said, "Why and how this happened is a testament to the leadership of this community. Former Mayor Bob Phillips had a vision for this when it was just a hayfield."

After the ribbon cutting, the group went to the Lewisburg Recreation Center where they ate lunch, exchanged gifts, and Mayor Jim Bingham toasted Meiwa.

Before giving the luncheon's invocation, Marshall County Mayor Joe Boyd Liggett said to Meiwa, "This is a star in the sky for us. We appreciate every working partner on this project, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to serve you in this community."

Company officials say it chose Lewisburg for its North American operations due to the city's I-65 Commerce Park location close to I-65, which makes it ideally suited for transporting parts to the Midwest and South, where a concentration of Japanese automobile manufacturers are located. They added, "The proactive support of the governing bodies of the City of Lewisburg, Marshall County and the State of Tennessee also created a great environment for making this investment."

According to records, a $105,780 state grant will pay for infrastructure such as utility connections and other site preparations for the 63,000-square-foot industrial building that has been empty since its construction in early 2009.

Headquartered in Atsugi, Japan, Meiwa Industry's Lewisburg facility will be located at 1041 Veterans Drive. The company currently supplies products to Japanese car manufacturers, including Nissan, Toyota and Honda. Along with establishing a base for North American operations, the Lewisburg facility will allow Meiwa Industry to eventually extend its services to other carmakers in the future.

The Japanese manufacturer creates luggage compartment floors and other interior parts using many materials including a one-of-a-kind, honeycomb plastic board called Meitone. The product is lightweight, strong and manufactured using advanced plastic technology and creating ecologically sound products.

"Meiwa is a quality company, and they are going to be a perfect fit for us," Lewisburg Director of Economic Development Greg Lowe said. "This is only the beginning of a partnership that has been months in the making, and I cannot say enough about the partners that helped to make this happen from the state of Tennessee, Marshall County, TVA, MTIDA, South Central Tennessee Development District, South Central Workforce Board Alliance, Truette Construction, St. John Engineering and Dewey Gray Engineering Associates. The level of professional support we were able to put into practice on this project cannot be overstated."