2012 Nissan NV Launch Helps Miami Area Habitat for Humanity
During the recent media introduction of the 2012 Nissan NV light commercial vehicle, Nissan North America took the opportunity to donate $35,000 to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami. As a part of the ride and drive portion of the NV's launch, journalists made a stop at a Miami-area Lowe's home improvement store to pick up pallets full of building supplies and delivered them to a Habitat for Humanity warehouse. In the past five years, Nissan says that it has donated more than $5 million to Habitat for Humanity in addition to more than 5,000 employees donating their time to help build houses throughout the United States.
Over the course of five days, four waves of Nissan NV drivers helped deliver a total of 28 pallets to the warehouse. These building materials, along with other area donations, will be used to help build at least 250 houses for low-income families in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood. Liberty City is one of Miami's most impoverished areas according to Joseph McDaniels, communications director for the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.
'Nissan is helping to put low income families in decent, affordable homes,'? said Mario Artecona Habitat for Humanity CEO. 'More than that, Nissan is contributing toward the revitalization of an entire community.'?
Many of the features built into the Nissan NV van helped it perform flawlessly like the wide cargo floor, the rear doors that open to 243 degrees and a maximum payload of 3,925 pounds. Available as the NV1500, NV2500 HD and NV3500 HD, Nissan hopes its new line-up of commercial vans succeeds in a small, but established segment, thanks to low prices including a base MSRP of $24,590 as well as the High Roof option not available on the market's biggest competitors: the Ford E-Series, Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana. Ever since the Nissan NV was unveiled as a concept vehicle in 2008, its ties with Habitat for Humanity were very strong with the official press pictures depicting the NV wearing the Habitat for Humanity stickers parked on a home build site.
'Nissan values our relationship with Habitat for Humanity,'? said David Reuter, vice-president, Corporate Communications, Nissan Americas. 'We are proud to partner with them to help revitalize Liberty City and we're proud that the new Nissan NV2500 can demonstrate its outstanding capabilities.'?
Last month, when the first production NV rolled off the assembly line at the Canton, Miss. assembly plant, Nissan announced that it would donate one of the new vans to Habitat for Humanity of Metro Jackson, Miss. Following the disastrous 2005 hurricane season that included Hurricane Katrina, Nissan donated 50 Nissan Titan pickup trucks to affected Gulf Coast states which totaled more than $1 million.