Connelly Sees Boost For Nissan

Jed Connelly says despite the U.S. auto industry not being “an expansionary market,” he is confident Nissan North America Inc. will continue to see growth.

Connelly, senior vice president-sales and marketing, announced his retirement March 8 from NNA.

“(Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s) fiscal year ends this month and our sales will be up 7% year-over-year,” Connelly says. “I think the next couple of years will be tough, but I think we'll still show year-over-year sales gain and I think we'll show share gain.”

Despite recent indications that he would remain with NNA as it prepares to transfer its North American sales and marketing headquarters from the Los Angeles area to Nashville, Connelly says the time seemed right to move on.

Nissan's executive staff in Gardena was to make a decision on whether or not they would move to Tennessee by Feb. 1.

At that time, some 12 people elected to either retire or not move, including Jack Collins, NNA's vice president-product planning.

Connelly says it looks like 50% of Nissan's non-executive ranks in California will not be making the move to Nashville. They had until April 1 to make an official decision.