Pajero Manufacturing, hailed as the jewel of Mitsubishi’s industrial empire, has been sold to toilet paper maker Daio Paper. motor.ru.
Until 2020, Pajero Manufacturing produced SUVs of the same name, as well as some Toyota and Honda models. Now the plant will produce napkins and toilet paper. The management of Mitsubishi Motors made such a difficult decision in connection with the restructuring of the company.
The Pajero Manufacturing automobile plant is located on the territory of the Japanese prefecture of Gifu. The company, popularly known as “Pajerotown”, was the largest employer in the region. At its peak, the factory produced about 170 thousand cars a year. Pajero off-road vehicles, Delica and Mighty Max pickups, as well as various models from Toyota and Honda came off the universal conveyors of the plant. Today, the company employs about a thousand specialists.
Initially, locals hoped that Mitsubishi would find buyers among other automakers. Then employees would not have to learn new professions. However, the brand’s management decided to sell the enterprise to Daio Paper, which specializes in the production of hygiene products, including napkins and toilet paper. According to experts, the cost of the transaction amounted to only four billion yen (approximately $34 million).