Takuji Yamada, president and CEO of American Honda Motor Company Inc (AHMC), will arrive in the island for an inaugural one-day visit on Sunday.

During his stay, Yamada’s itinerary will include a tour of ATL Automotive’s Honda facility on Hagley Park Road in Kingston.

Sam McKenzie, head of business at Honda, said ATL Automotive was pleased to host the president.

“We are elated about Mr Yamada’s visit. The Caribbean has never had the visit of the CEO/president and notably a Japanese representative/executive for the Honda brand,” McKenzie told Auto yesterday.

“The visit is a business meeting coupled with stop over with the team at the best dealership in the Caribbean for many years, ATL Automotive Limited.”

Yamada, whose career with Honda began in 1980, has held several high-profile positions with the Japanese public multinational corporation. In addition to being the president and CEO of AHMC, he also holds the positions of president of Honda North America and COO of North America Regional Operations of Honda Motor Company Ltd. He concurrently served as managing executive officer of Honda Motor Company since 2012.

From 2008 to 2012, Yamada held the Chief Operating Officer of Power Product Operations at Honda Motor Company where he oversaw Honda’s global power product operation.

Today, Honda is the second largest Japanese automobile manufacturer in the world and in 2013 became the first Japanese automaker to be a net exporter to the United States, exporting 108,705 Honda and Acura models, while importing only 88,357.

McKenzie said Honda’s record for Jamaica in no different.

“Jamaica has the largest market share in the Latin American and Caribbean North region…more than 10 per cent,” he said.

The head of business also explained that Jamaicans have a love affair with the Honda brand.

“Jamaica loves Honda because it is the most premium Japanese brand in Jamaica. It’s an aspirational brand because of its reliability, it’s most efficient in its class, has the best resale value and functionality. To top it off, we, at ATL Automotive, have the best after-sales service; offer the best sales experience and customer service standards with an efficient sales process and sales team in the industry,” said McKenzie.

ATL Automotive, authorised dealers of Honda vehicles since 1997, has the silverware to show for it. The company won the Honda Automobile Customer Service Experience (HACE) award six years in a row (Best After-Sales Experience) and boasts the most Master Technician in the Latin America and Caribbean North region. Its Service and Parts Department are GOLDSTAR certified (only seven certified out of 14 Caribbean countries).

“As said by our CEO Adam Stewart: ‘The creation of ATL Automotive was based on two things: a profound love of cars and the strong belief that Jamaica deserved the better’. Honda is the best and most premium Japanese brand backed by game changer in the automotive industry, ATL Automotive Limited which will always give our customers and country better,” McKenzie added.