Honda plant confirmed in Alabama
Honda subsidiary Yutaka Technologies began construction on a transmission component factory in Cullman, Alabama in January. The plant will employ about 200 people and is part of a larger strategy to build several component-supplier factories to feed Honda's US manufacturing plants. There's new facilities going up in Georgia and Ohio in addition to the Alabama plant. The Cullman plant will start supplying torque converters and exhaust components to Honda's Lincoln, Alabama assembly plant in November. The Lincoln plant builds the Odyssey minivan and Pilot SUV, and Honda is shifting more Pilot production to the Alabama plant from its Ontario facility. While many think of Honda as a foreign brand, their cars are often no more foreign than the domestics. Building US-market cars in this country has been a winning proposition for Honda and the other foreign marques that have opened facilities here. Keeping US workers employed takes some of the teeth out of the "Buy American" argument. Also, astronomical shipping costs (we wouldn't want to get the bill to insure one of those shipments, let alone the actual freight cost) and import tariffs are also dodged by building cars here with parts sourced domestically. Honda has been building automobiles in the US for 25 years and the company employs over 30,000 people at their 12 manufacturing US facilities, which build everything from cars to ATVs and watercraft.
[Source: Honda]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Avinash machado 9:10AM (2/09/2007)
Was not Honda the first Japanese car maker to set up a plant in the US? I think it was sometime around 1983.
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akintz 9:17AM (2/09/2007)
Always nice to hear about more US jobs. As well as quieting the "foreign crap" arguments.
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KKop 9:27AM (2/09/2007)
...and motorcycles (the Gold Wing)
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Richard Warren 10:00AM (2/09/2007)
#1 Marysville Ohio, 1979. First vehicles assembled Honda Civics, terrible build and paint quality the first year. In later audits the cars were very close in quality to their Japanese produced models.
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david 10:13AM (2/09/2007)
let's see, 200 people from alabama, that adds up to a full set of teeth. good move by honda, no dental plan needed. imagine if they decided to build in the uk.
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hondalover 10:21AM (2/09/2007)
i love honda since the firts time the i saw one,i think is the best vehicle on the road.. good job honda one more time show this country that you support this ecconomy, and show GM,fort, and the others who to build cars... i own a honda pilot ex-l 2006 best SUV ever relaible,quality,value..style..
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che culattone 10:23AM (2/09/2007)
"i own a honda pilot ex-l 2006 best SUV ever relaible,quality,value..style."
i just can't help but laugh at that. hahahahahaha. clearly, this guy has never driven a real SUV.
well, look on the bright side. at least he didn't spend 15K more for the same car with an Acura logo on it...
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rrr 10:24AM (2/09/2007)
Well #5, their thinking is probably this, "Build in South spend extra on Dental, Buitd in North East or West ...spend a ton on HIV and other STD related drugs"
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che culattone 10:35AM (2/09/2007)
rrr: "Well #5, their thinking is probably this, "Build in South spend extra on Dental, Buitd in North East or West ...spend a ton on HIV and other STD related drugs""
actually, rrr, STD and HIV rates are much much higher in the South, than they are in the developped parts of the country like the northeast and the west coast. the people of the south are poor and uneducated, so don't understand the whole concept of contraception, prevention, etc. the only thing they understand is the bible, which, ironically, tells them they can't use condoms. hah!
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david 10:47AM (2/09/2007)
rrr, read a bunch of your twisted posts. so if they build in your part of the country, they'd have to spend a bundle on mental care.
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GO JOE 11:05AM (2/09/2007)
Honda Recalls 45,335 Civic Hybrid Sedans Due to Electrical Defect
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,251022,00.html
Whew!! Pricey Rice-Rockets - with sub-standard quality - I'll pass, no thanks.
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P to the C 1:55PM (2/09/2007)
Good for Honda. Hopefully as they expand they won't run into the same nagging reliability issues that have torpedoed Toyota's dependability and quality ratings.
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Cly 11:40AM (2/09/2007)
#7, clearly you know what a real SUV is. Go back to your Ford Explorer. Let me know when you're done rolling over in laughter.
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SherbornSean 11:42AM (2/09/2007)
Hey Che,
Maybe Hondalover reads Car & Driver. Pilot has been named the top large SUV every year its been out.
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CMOS 11:52AM (2/09/2007)
#13, just don't listen to what Che says. It's a tired out flamebait in order to start unnecessary and useless debate in the autoblog comments section. It's always the same formula where if a Japanese company is named he will instantly say some negative comment no matter what. It doesn't matter if a credible source (of any sort) is used to support the Japanese, he will just downplay it. He would rather support the Geo Metro than anything Japanese.
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che culattone 11:58AM (2/09/2007)
"Maybe Hondalover reads Car & Driver. Pilot has been named the top large SUV every year its been out."
if you base your decisions on what a good car is on car&driver, you need some serious help. you want to know what a real SUV is? a REAL SUV is the toyota Land Cruiser, the Toyota 4Runner (before they changed it into the crap it is now, i'm talking the boxy 4Runner), a REAL SUV is the Nissan Patrol, or a Land Rover. These are the cars that make the 3rd world move, because they have proper off-roading capabilites, and in the third world, you're often driving on dirt. The Honda Pilot is a glorified station wagon. anyone who thinks that thing can do any offraoding whatsoever needs to have their head examined...
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che culattone 11:59AM (2/09/2007)
"He would rather support the Geo Metro than anything Japanese."
no. as i've said many times before (though you clearly seem incapable of reading or understanding it), i don't liek american cars. i like EUROPEAN cars. but that doesn't change the fact that i'll call out anyone who makes a post as ridiculous as the guy saying that the Honda Pilot is the best SUV in the world, pointing namely to its DESIGN!!!! DESIGN?! are you kidding me?
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Justin 12:24PM (2/09/2007)
Ooooo a transmission components plant. Maybe they can build a replacement for my 99 Accord transmission...you know, the ones that tend to DIE.
I love the car, and the tranny has made it to 126000 miles so far with only minor rough shifting...but I hate not being covered in that lawsuit.
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Dustin 12:27PM (2/09/2007)
Che, when did "hondalover" say that he loves the powerful engine and offroading capabilities of the Pilot? He said it has great reliability, quality, and value (factors which Hondas rate highly at) and he says he likes its style. Why do you think he's so "wrong" and feel the need to berate him for that? You call it a wagon? Fine. But he still likes it. You can have your boxy 4Runner and he'll keep his Pilot. Peace at last.
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Aki 12:49PM (2/09/2007)
"Whew!! Pricey Rice-Rockets - with sub-standard quality - I'll pass, no thanks."
Yeah, and we all know that domestic vehicles are known for top-of-the-line cheap plastics. Keep deceiving yourself if that's what makes you feel better.
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