Governor Ricketts, Kawasaki representatives, and a team from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development recently met in Seattle to further grow the relationship between the company and the state of Nebraska.
Today, Governor Pete Ricketts congratulated Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. (Kawasaki) on obtaining a $3.6 billion subway car contract from the New York City Transit Authority/Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
“This is an exciting day for Kawasaki, Lincoln, and the state of Nebraska,” said Governor Ricketts. “Congratulations to Kawasaki on obtaining this impressive contract that will not only help them grow their company, but also grow the Lincoln community and our state as a whole.”
The base contract order is for 535 subway cars with optional contracts to build another 1,077 cars for a total of 1,612 cars. The Lincoln Kawasaki plant will fabricate and assemble all 1,612 cars and mass production will begin in January of 2021. If all options are exercised, the $3.6 billion contract would be Kawasaki’s largest contract to date.
“A contract of this magnitude is obviously an extremely positive circumstance for Kawasaki, its workforce, and the surrounding communities,” said Kawasaki Senior Manager Jason Hellbusch. “The economic impact on the state of Nebraska could be felt for years to come.”