The Tamiya Group of Japan, through its subsidiary Tamiya Philippines, has announced a P1.5-billion capital injection into the Philippines that will be poured into building a new production facility in Cebu Light Industrial Park.
Tamiya is the manufacturer of the plastic mini 4WD race cars that saw a peak in popularity in the ’90s. The four-wheel-drive race cars are powered by electric motors through a pair of AA batteries.
At the height of these toy cars’ popularity, 4WD races were organized in the Philippines and around the world and followed by millions of enthusiasts, many of whom were students who would spend their allowances on upgrades on stock engines, parts, and car shells.
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Tamiya has expanded to manufacturing radio-controlled cars, plastic model kits, battery and solar powered models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and modeling tools and supplies.
Tamiya Philippines has been operating a production facility in Cebu since 1994. According to a report by the Manila Bulletin, the company’s annual export is $23.24 million. The bulk of the exports of the current Tamiya Cebu facility goes to Japan, which accounts for 65% of its sales.
With the construction of the new P1.5-billion facility, the Japanese firm expects to grow its output by 5% over the next three years.
NOTE: This article first appeared on Esquiremag.ph. Minor edits have been made.
