Patrick Murphy, regional general manager for America Suzuki Motor Corporation, Gaffney Mayor Henry Jolly, Joe Gibson and Koichi Suzuki, president of America Suzuki Motor Corporation, cut the ribbon at the new Joe Gibson Suzuki showroom on Hampshire Drive. Local auto dealer Joe Gibson had made a list of VIPs to invite to the opening of his new Suzuki showroom on Hampshire Drive. And he was very proud to introduce Koichi Suzuki, the president of America Suzuki Motor Corporation, on Monday night.

“We are very pleased with our new facility,” Gibson said, “And it is my pleasure to welcome Koichi Suzuki to Gaffney.”

A crowd of about 25 people, including Gaffney High football players and head coach Phil Strickland, were on hand to christen the new building and meet Suzuki.

“Congratulations on a wonderful new facility,” Suzuki, who is not related to the company’s founding family, said to Gibson and the crowd. “Suzuki is just starting to expand in the United States market. For many years, we have been very successful in the overseas markets of Europe and Asia and we hope that more customers will find out about our great vehicles.”

Koichi Suzuki (right) shakes hands with Sam Burns of Burns Chevrolet. Suzuki, president of America Suzuki Motor Corporation, was in town to celebrate the opening of the new showroom at Joe Gibson Suzuki on Hampshire Drive. Suzuki is the number-four automaker in Japan and ranked eighth worldwide in sales. The company has been profitable for 56 straight years. But until this year, the name was synonymous with motorcycles and other recreational vehicles. Suzuki had less than 50,000 auto sales annually until 2005. Now, November sales have been tallied and are up 14 percent from 2004, continuing a year-long trend with an average sales increase of 10 percent.

Koichi Suzuki thinks he knows why.

“Gas prices are way up,” he said. “They have come down a little in the past few weeks, but they’re still up from last year and the year before. We have been the numberone mini-car manufacturer in Japan for 30 years, but the thought in the U.S. market has always been that they are too small. With the gas prices the way they are, American car buyers are more willing to sacrifice size for gas mileage.”

Suzuki makes it a point to visit all of the new dealerships that are opening this year in the United States and has left his California home for such faraway places as Gaffney, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and many in between. The company is putting a lot of time and energy into the new dealership design, dubbed ‘Suzuki Square.’

“The Suzuki Square dealership emphasizes open spaces,” Suzuki said. “We know that dealerships have a large impact on their local communities and this is a place where people can come and meet our vehicles. I see your championship high school football team is here tonight and I want to congratulate them on their success. That kind of teamwork is what Suzuki is all about.”