Yamaha Outboard Motor Production Tops 7 Million Mark

Yamaha Motor Co, Ltd. (YMC) announces that on December 24, 2003, the total cumulative production of Yamaha outboard motors reached the seven million mark. Beginning with the start of production of YMC’s first outboard motor, the seven-hp “P7,” in July of 1960, the company’s total production reached the five million mark in March of 1996. The six million mark in total outboard production was reached in June of 2000, and now, some three years and six months later, the momentous seven million mark has been reached.

Employing its unique small-engine technology and diligent, ongoing market research, YMC has continued to develop, manufacture and market outboard motors that answer the needs of the world’s markets. At the same time, the company has established a worldwide service network that has helped win trust in the Yamaha brand and answer the expectations of the customers.
Today, Yamaha offers a full lineup of 4-stroke outboards along with a lineup of 2-stroke models featuring environment-friendly engine technologies like the YMC-exclusive high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) system. With its proven core technologies, YMC will continue to develop both 4-stroke and 2-stroke outboard motors specifically designed to meet the varied regional needs of the world’s markets.

Yamaha outboard motors are presently manufactured at three companies, Yamaha Marine Co., Ltd. (former Sanshin Industries Co., Ltd.; Location: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Pref., Japan; President: Shinya Sato), Kumamoto Products Co., Ltd. (Location: Yashiro City, Kumamoto Pref., Japan; President: Yoshinori Doi) and MBK Industrie (Location: San Quentin, France; President: Hiroyuki Yanagi), and the combined production level of these facilities totals about 320,000 units annually. The Yamaha 2-stroke lineup presently in production ranges from 2 hp to 300 hp, while the 4-stroke lineup ranges from 2.5 hp to 225 hp. These models are supplied to over 180 countries today, where they contribute to the modernization of fishery and the spread of marine leisure. Recent surveys of marine engine competitiveness have found the Yamaha brand to be No. 1 in customer satisfaction in the large North American market, which accounts for about 40% of the world demand, and it is this kind of high approval rating that as helped Yamaha reach the seven million mark in total production in such a short time.

In 1995, Yamaha Marine Co., Ltd. was the recipient of the TPM Excellence Prize of the Japan Plant Maintenance Association, a prize which is awarded to outstanding manufacturing plants. TPM is the abbreviation for Total Productive Maintenance, a system by which all the employees participate in the maintenance of the manufacturing facilities, and the TPM prize recognizes excellence in manufacturing system efficiency, productivity product quality and cost performance. In 2000, the company received the follow-up TPM continuance award. In 1997, Yamaha Marine received certification under the ISO9002 standard and in 2003 certification was received under the 2000 version of the ISO9001 standard. Certification under the ISO14001 standard was also received in 2000. In February the company name was changed from Sanshin Industries to Yamaha Marine Co., Ltd.