3.1.2 The Japanese vehicle manufacturing industry: NAC is one of the major companies manufacturing vehicles in Japan, a nation committed to engineering perfection. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry has declared success in this industry sector a national goal and encourages the development of export markets. The domestic market for vehicles has been soft. The global industry is highly competitive, with manufacturers from numerous countries competing intensely for sales to purchasers. Some of NAC’s domestic competitors have established both assembly and manufacturing plants in foreign markets; notably in the United States. Three of its domestic competitors are among the leaders in the global vehicle manufacturing industry segment.
3.2 US Shipping Lines, Inc. (USSL)
3.2.1 Company profile: USSL Inc. is a global leader. It is a large, broadly diversified, logistical- based enterprise specializing in ocean shipping, rail transportation and trucking as well as port facilities management. The company is registered in the United States and has operations
worldwide. USSL is on the forefront of its industry and plans to maintain its leadership role. It has recently spent hundreds of millions of dollars to modernize its assets, acquire companies, and invest in logistics technologies. USSL has found it necessary to develop an international client base to meet its strategic goal of being recognized as a global industry leader.
USSL maintains a fleet of ocean-going vessels that include 23 container ships, 17 roll on/roll off (RoRo) ships and 12 bulk carriers. A RoRo ship is designed specifically for rolling stock, wheeled and tracked vehicles and is particularly suited for automobiles, SUVs and pick-up trucks. As the name implies the vehicles are driven onto and off the ship using either the ship’s own ramps or shore-based ramps rather than lifted, via crane, from the dock to the ship for loading and lifted from the ship to the dock for unloading. Cargo loading and unloading tends to be very efficient thus reducing costs. USSL RoRo vessels range in carrying capacity from a low of 4,732 vehicles to a high of 6,498 vehicles. The USSL profile is shown in Figure 2.