Honda Officially Breaks Ground

Honda Officially Breaks Ground For Indiana Plant    
by Jenny McLane

Honda Motor Co. officially breaks ground for its $550 million-worth
plant in Indiana. The groundbreaking ceremony of the new automobile plant,
known as the Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN), was held
yesterday. The new plant with 2,000 associates will produce the popular
Honda Civic sedan and the mass production will start in fall next year.

The HMINs first president will be Yuzo Uenohara, who previously held
the position of senior vice president at the Honda Manufacturing of
Alabama, LLC. The company first announced its plans to build Indiana plant
in June 2006. The building of a new plant is aimed at meeting the
growing customer demand.

The HMIN will be the automakers seventh auto plant in North America
and one of 17 major Honda manufacturing facilities in the said territory.
It is also aimed at bolstering Hondas total North American automobile
production capacity from 1.4 million units to over 1.6 million units in
2008 as well as boost the employment in North America to more than
37,000 associates and capital investment in North America to more than $9
billion.

In Indiana we will create an efficient and flexible manufacturing
environment that is a great place for everyone to work, said Koichi Kondo,
the president & CEO of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and chief
operating officer of Hondas 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.

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.

The hiring of the company for the Indiana facility will not start until
late this year. Advertisements started February 21. The advertisements
cover non-production positions like automotive engineering, information
technology, purchasing and administration. Said advertisements received
over 6,000 responses. Moreover, the hiring is expected to start in late
2007.

Indiana plants major production processes include stamping, welding,
painting, plastic injection molding, sub-assembly as well as final
assembly operations. The assembly and mass production of Honda Civic sedan
for the model year 2009 is set to begin in fall 2008.

In 2006, the automaker has manufactured more than 1.16 million Honda
and Acura passenger cars and trucks in North America. In that same year,
77 percent of over 1.5 million Honda and Acura vehicles were purchased
by American consumers. A number of purchasers consider auto add-ons
like Weathertech mats and other accessories to ensure utmost protection
without compromising style.

The Honda Civic sedans to be produced in Indiana will be equipped with
fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines manufactured in Anna, Ohio.
Majority of the Civic sedan parts will be manufactured by the automakers
current base of over 600 North American suppliers. In addition, the
automaker has purchased more than $17.6 billion in parts and materials from
suppliers in North America in the previous year.

About the Author

Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for
research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as
a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the
country today.