Mon Feb 17, 4:50 PM ET In May, 2003, Nissan North America Inc. will open the first phase of its $1.5 billion assembly plant in Canton, Miss., shown in this Dec. 2002 handout photograph. The plant will make Nissan's new full-sized Titan pickup, Quest minivans and new full-sized Nissan and Infinity sports-utility vehicles. It will be Mississippi's first auto plant, and excitement is high among job applicants angling for jobs with starting wages between $13.25 and $18.50 an hour. (AP Photo/Mississippi Development Authority, File)