Putting the relatively small American (and much smaller Canadian) market into perspective, Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced that it will double its production capacity in the Philippines with a new factory that is planned to have a capacity of 200,000 units.

 

Suzuki hopes that the Canlubang, Philippines facility will start returning the company’s USD $26 million investment by June, 2012 when it’s scheduled to begin operations. Suzuki claims that it sold 81,538 units during 2010 in the Philippines alone, a 149 percent increase over the previous year’s sales and a testimony to the recent explosion in popularity of motorcycles in that country.

 

The existing Suzuki plant in Pasig, which reached its yearly capacity of 96,000 units, is slated for conversion to office space but will also include a showroom, service centre, and rider training facility.