Honda's new $550 Million Indiana Plant Will Begin
Production of Civic Sedan in 2008
Honda today held an official groundbreaking
ceremony for its $550 million automobile plant, to be known as Honda
Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) and revealed that the new plant's
2,000 associates will produce the popular and fuel efficient Honda Civic
sedan when mass production begins in fall 2008. It was also announced
that HMIN's first president will be Yuzo Uenohara, who previously held
the position of senior vice president at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama,
LLC.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (Right)
with Honda Manufacturing of Indiana President & CEO Yuzo
Uenohara (Center) and Greensburg, Indiana Mayor Frank Manus
(Left) at the official groundbreaking ceremony for Honda's new
$550 million automobile plant in Greensburg, Ind. The plant,
which will create 2,000 jobs, will produce the fuel-efficient
Honda Civic sedan.
Honda first announced plans to build the new
Indiana plant June 28, 2006, with an annual production capacity of
200,000 vehicles. In an effort to meet strong customer demand, site
preparation for the new plant is complete and basic construction has
already begun on a 1,700-acre tract in Decatur County, Indiana, near the
town of Greensburg, 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
"In Indiana we will create an efficient and
flexible manufacturing environment that is a great place for everyone to
work," said Koichi Kondo, president & CEO of American Honda Motor Co.,
Inc., and chief operating officer of Honda's North American Regional
operations. "In this way, we are breaking ground for more than an auto
plant. We are breaking new ground in our relationship with the people of
Indiana and our customers in America."
.
HMIN will be Honda's seventh auto plant in
North America and one of 17 major Honda manufacturing facilities in
North America. It will help to boost Honda's total North American
automobile production capacity from 1.4 million units to more than 1.6
million units in 2008, employment in North America to more than 37,000
associates and capital investment in North America to more than $9
billion.
HMIN began advertising February 21, for a
limited number of non-production positions in the fields of automotive
engineering, purchasing, information technology and administration and
has received more than 6,000 responses. The hiring process for
production associates will not begin until late 2007. Honda is an equal
opportunity employer and is committed to recruiting candidates from
diverse backgrounds.
"Over the years, we will ask the associates of
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana for their ideas to make our products
better and the plant the safest place it can be," said Uenohara, the new
president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana. "This is the Honda way and
this spirit will guide us at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana."
Major production processes performed at the
Indiana plant will include stamping, welding, painting, plastic
injection molding, sub-assembly and final assembly operations. Mass
production of the 2009-model Civic sedan is scheduled to begin in fall
2008.
Honda will make a significant commitment to
limit the environmental impact of the new Indiana plant, including ISO
14001 international environmental management certification, and advanced
methods of energy and emission reduction with the goal to be a "zero
waste to landfill" facility.
