Fuji Heavy eyes America for future profits

Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company of Subaru, has missed its sales goal for a five-year plan that ends next month. The end of one five-year plan, however, is the beginning of another. The next five years will see Subaru putting a much larger emphasis on the U.S. market (w00t!). The Japanese automaker is aware that it can't squeeze any more sales out of the home market, so it's looking to America to supply the extra sales it needs to meet new targets. To achieve this goal, Subaru will supplement its U.S. headquarters in New Jersey with a satellite branch in the City of Angles (Los Angeles). The company hopes that the power of the sun rays combined with the magical properties of California drinking water will give its brand insight into what customers want in the Sun Belt states. In addition, we'll be getting 24 more Subaru dealers by 2010 to help push the all-wheel drive wares. Finally, a new production facility is being considered, though it wouldn't be located in either Japan or the U.S.
Currently Subaru sells only 179,000 vehicles in the U.S. compared to 242,000 units in Japan. By 2011, round about when the new five-year plan will be winding down, Subaru expects to be selling about 236,000 in both markets.

[Source: Automotive News]