Yamaha continues to expand its all-terrain vehicle production in Georgia and could add as many as 400 jobs the next few years, it just announced.

The Japanese company best known for motorcycles and pianos has completed moving all its high-end ATV production to Newnan, Ga.

It says it will add another 100 jobs this year to produce its Viking ATV, a model in which the driver and passenger can sit side by side. And it could add another 300 jobs over three to five years, based on forecasts.

The Georgia plants already employ 1,250, up 200 between the factories and corporate office since ATV production started moving to the state two years ago.

Yamaha is dedicated to U.S. production of ATVs because Americans constitute 70% of the worldwide market.

"Yamaha continues to ramp up U.S. production thanks to the ATV production transfer, the introduction of all-new products like the Viking, and improving market conditions," said Mike Martinez, vice president of Yamaha's ATV/SxS group, in a statement. "It makes great business sense for Yamaha to manufacture these products right here in the U.S. for worldwide distribution."

Among the other ATV models that Yamaha makes at the plant are the Grizzly 700 FI, which has electric power steering, and the high-performance YFZ450R. The plant also exports product.

Source USA Today