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Overview: Honda 2011 Digital FactBook

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:34:00 -0700

Honda 2011 Digital FactBook

Overview: Honda 2011 Digital FactBook

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:33:00 -0700

The 2011 Digital FactBook is an annual report which provides an overview of Honda's global operations, as well as detailed historical and up-to-date information concerning Honda's sales, manufacturing and R&D operations in North America. This report includes a general chronology which highlights the significant milestones in Honda's corporate history.

The 2011 Digital FactBook includes the following:

Corporate directory of key locations and contacts by region
Overview of worldwide operations, sales network and 2010 production
Overview of North America (N.A.) operations and subsidiaries
History of Honda/Acura vehicle introductions in the U.S., Honda/Acura vehicle and industry sales data for N.A.
List of N.A. manufacturing facilities and information on automobile, motorcycle and ATV/PWC production
Summary of N.A. R&D/Engineering facilities
Summary of exports of N.A. made Honda products
Overview of South America operations, subsidiaries, manufacturing facilities and R&D centers
Overview of Europe/Middle East/Africa operations, subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities
Overview of Japan operations, subsidiaries, R&D centers and manufacturing facilities
Overview of Asia/Oceania operations, subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities
Overview of China operations, subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities
Chronology of corporate milestones

Overview: 2010 Honda Digital Factbook

Mon, 17 May 2010 11:00:00 -0700

2010 Honda Digital Factbook

Overview: Honda Commemorates 50 Years of Innovation in America

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Honda (NYSE: HMC) today marked its first 50 years in America, commemorating the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in a small Los Angeles storefront on June 11, 1959. Honda associates observed the occasion with a brief ceremony at the company's Torrance, Calif. headquarters.

"On behalf of the tens of thousands of Honda associates in America, past and present, we offer our deepest thanks to our customers for placing their trust in Honda over the past 50 years," said American Honda President & CEO Tetsuo Iwamura. "Today, in the face of new challenges, including the preservation of our environment, we renew our commitment to exceed the expectations of our customers and society."

Starting in 1959, with the fuel-efficient Honda 50 motorcycle, to the newly launched 2010 Honda Insight gas-electric hybrid vehicle, Honda has introduced new technologies and business strategies that have shaped the industry and the growth of Honda, including:

First automaker to meet U.S. Clean Air Act without a catalytic converter - Civic CVCC (1974)
First vehicle to top U.S. EPA list of most fuel efficient cars - Civic (1977)
First Japanese automaker to build motorcycles (1979) and automobiles (1982) in America - Marysville, Ohio*
First Japanese automaker to establish a luxury automobile brand -- Acura (1986)
First mass produced gas electric hybrid car introduced in America -- Insight (1999)
First government-certified hydrogen fuel cell vehicle -- FCX (2002)

Honda has steadily expanded its U.S. presence to encompass a broad range of products and operations. Today, Honda employs more than 27,000 U.S. associates engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, sale and servicing of Honda and Acura products including automobiles, motorcycles, ATVs, personal water craft, power equipment, and an advanced light jet.

Honda operates 10 U.S. manufacturing plants with two new plants under construction, along with 14 R&D facilities and more than 12 regional sales, parts and service, and finance offices around the country. The company's network of U.S. parts suppliers comprises 545 companies in 34 states with annual purchases exceeding $17.5 billion in 2008.

Honda History in America
American Honda was the first overseas subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., established eleven years after HMC's inception as a small motorcycle manufacturer in Japan. Honda entered the U.S. market in 1959 with the step-through Honda 50 motorcycle and helped spur the dramatic growth of the U.S. motorcycle market, as it became the best-selling brand in America.

The introduction of the fuel-efficient Civic in 1973 paved the way for Honda's entry into the U.S. auto industry. As America faced the first oil crisis in 1973 and then the U.S. Clean Air Act tightened air emissions standards in 1975, Civic became both the first automobile to meet the Clean Air Act without the need for a catalytic converter and was ranked number one on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's first list of America's most fuel efficient cars (1977).

Based on its longstanding commitment to develop and build products close to the customer, Honda established research and development operations in America in 1975, and U.S. manufacturing in 1979, starting with production of motorcycles in Marysville, Ohio. Honda became the first Japanese automaker to build cars in America with the start of Accord production at the Marysville Auto Plant in November 1982. In May 2009, Honda reached the 15 million unit milestone in U.S. automobile production.

In 1986, the company expanded into the luxury automobile market with the creation of the Acura brand, the first luxury nameplate from a Japanese automaker. Acura earned a top rating in J.D. Power and Associates' Customer Satisfaction Index for four consecutive years (1986-1989).

In the 1990s, Honda introduced the U.S. automobile industry's first low-emissions vehicles, meeting challenging new emissions requirements in California while also enhancing fuel efficiency. In 1999, Honda introduced America's first mass production hybrid vehicle, the Insight, followed in 2002 by the Honda FCX, the first fuel cell vehicle certified by the U.S. government for daily use and the first to be placed in the hands of an individual consumer.

In 2008, the company began leasing its next-generation FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan, the industry's most advanced zero-emissions vehicle. In March 2009 Honda introduced the 2010 Honda Insight, America's most affordable hybrid, with plans to launch another all-new hybrid within the next several years based on the company's sporty CR-Z hybrid concept vehicle.

"Looking to the future, we are committed to advancing Honda's legacy of environmental leadership to help address the twin challenges of global climate change and energy sustainability," said Iwamura. "Along with a renewed focus on quality, we begin our next fifty years by accelerating our efforts to develop and deploy new technologies that put Honda at the forefront of this global challenge, to create a cleaner and more sustainable future for generations to come."

Honda's multimedia newsroom including historical photos and video: http://www.hondanews.com

*using domestic and globally sourced parts

Overview: Honda Enhances Flexible Manufacturing Network in North America

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:32:00 -0700

Honda (www.honda.com) will begin production1 of V-6 Accord sedans at its Alabama auto plant while increasing production of 4-cylinder Accords in Marysville, Ohio, the company today announced. These moves are part of a series of production adjustments that Honda is making in North America and globally to meet customer demand for its lineup of fuel-efficient passenger cars and light trucks, as well as to ensure the most efficient use of its manufacturing capacity.

"We are leveraging our flexible manufacturing network to meet the needs of our customers for more fuel-efficient products," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We will continue to guide our business based on strategic and careful management tied to our core values."

The latest changes in Honda's North American production strategy include:

The majority of V-6 Accord sedan production will shift from Honda's Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio to the Honda auto plant in Lincoln, Ala. in mid-2009.
The Marysville Auto Plant will increase its production of 4-cylinder Accord sedans in mid-2009, decreasing imports of Accord to the U.S.
The Anna, Ohio Engine Plant, will increase production of 4-cylinder engines.
Production of the Honda Ridgeline pickup will be moved from Canada to Alabama in early 2009 (previously announced).

Alabama Auto Plant to Begin Production of V-6 Accord Sedan

By mid-2009, the majority of V-6 Accord sedan production will shift from Honda's Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio to the Honda auto plant in Lincoln, Ala. This will be the first time the Alabama plant has produced passenger cars since it began production of the Odyssey minivan in November 2001. The Accord V-6 sedan will become the fourth model produced on the plant's two assembly lines.

The Alabama plant now produces the Odyssey minivan and Pilot sport utility vehicle. Earlier this year, Honda announced plans to transfer production of the Ridgeline truck to Alabama from its No. 2 auto plant in Canada in early 2009. Annual production capacity at the Alabama plant will remain at 300,000 vehicles and 300,000 V-6 engines.

The Alabama plant plans to further reduce light truck production through the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, to adjust output to current market conditions as well as to prepare for the launch of Accord production.

Marysville, Ohio, Auto Plant Increasing Production of 4-cylinder Accords

In conjunction with the start-up of V-6 Accord sedan production in Alabama, the Marysville Auto Plant will increase production1 of 4-cylinder Accord sedans. This will result in Honda reducing imports of 4-cylinder Accords from its Saitama Factory in Japan. The Marysville plant will continue to produce the V-6 Accord sedan and coupe, Acura TL performance sedan, and the Acura RDX luxury SUV on its two assembly lines.

Through September 2008, more than 80 percent of Honda's Accord sales in the U.S. were produced in the U.S. Following this production adjustment next year, an even higher percentage of Accords sold in the United States will be produced in Ohio and Alabama. Annual production capacity of the Marysville Auto Plant will remain at 440,000 units.

Anna, Ohio Engine Plant Increasing Production of 4-cylinder Engines

In conjunction with the transfer of V-6 Accord sedan production to Alabama, and to help meet demand for 4-cylinder engines, Honda's engine plant in Anna, Ohio, will shift some of its production capacity from V-6 to 4-cylinder engines. In Alabama, Honda will add V-6 Accord engines to its current V-6 engine production for its Odyssey and Pilot models. The Anna plant produces engines for vehicles assembled in Ohio, Indiana and Canada, and for export to Honda operations overseas. Annual capacity at Anna will remain at 1.18 million engines.

Flexible North American Production Operations

For the past decade, Honda has invested in the development of a highly flexible and efficient manufacturing network of plants in North America, enhancing its ability to quickly and efficiently respond to changes in customer demand. The addition of Accord production in Alabama will provide Honda with increased flexibility to meet the requirements of the North American market, while also ensuring more efficient use of overall production capacity. Already, Honda's East Liberty and Marysville plants in Ohio and the No. 2 plant in Canada are producing cars and light trucks on the same line.

Honda built a record 1,432,731 cars and light trucks in North America in 2007, including 1,015,462 units in the U.S. Last year, more than 76 percent of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in America were produced in North America, the highest percentage for any international automaker. Honda purchased more than $18.8 billion in parts and materials from suppliers in North America last year.

About Honda

Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first overseas subsidiary. Honda began U.S. motorcycle production in Ohio in 1979, and began U.S. automobile production in 1982 at its Marysville, Ohio, auto plant. The company has invested more than $10.6 billion in its North America operations, including 16 major manufacturing facilities employing more than 35,000 associates and producing more than 2 million products annually, including more than 1.4 million Honda and Acura automobiles as well as motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft, lawn mowers, general-purpose engines, and other power equipment products. Honda currently partners with more than 650 North American suppliers and purchased more than $18.8 billion in parts and materials from North American suppliers in 2007.

Overview: North America Operations -- Overview

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:27:00 -0700

Since the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in 1959 as Honda's first overseas subsidiary, Honda has invested more than $9 billion in sales, manufacturing and R&D operations in North America. Since the first motorcycle rolled off an assembly line in Ohio in 1979, Honda now has 17 major plants in the region, producing a range of products and components including Honda and Acura cars and light trucks; Honda motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft, lawn mowers; and engines and transmissions.

Nearly 80 percent of the cars and light trucks Honda sells in the U.S. were assembled in North America using domestic and globally sourced parts. Increasingly, many of these products are designed and developed by Honda's R&D operations in America as well as including the Honda Civic Coupe and Civic Si, Element, Pilot and Ridgeline - and the Acura TL and MDX.

Production

Honda will invest approximately $665 million and increase employment by more than 1,900 associates to expand North American automobile, engine and transmission production operations by 2008.

The expansion includes a new U.S. auto plant in Indiana (annual capacity of approximately 200,000 units), a new engine plant in Canada to produce 200,000 4-cylinder engines for Honda's existing auto plant in Canada, and expansion of component production at Honda's engine and transmission plants in Ohio and Georgia.

As a result of this expansion, Honda's automobile production capacity in North America will increase from 1.4 million to 1.6 million units in 2008, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Honda purchased more than $16 billion in parts and materials from U.S. suppliers for the fiscal year ending March 2006.

Research & Development

For more than thirty years, Honda has steadily expanded the size and scope of its U.S. R&D operations to encompass the full range of research, design and development activities for Honda and Acura automobiles as well as Honda motorcycles and Honda power equipment products. As of 2006, the company operates thirteen R&D facilities in North America with more than 1,300 associates engaged in "complete product creation," creating new products for Honda and Acura from initial concept formulation, to styling design, and complete engineering development.

Honda's Automotive Safety Research Facility in Raymond, Ohio, features one of the world's most sophisticated high-resolution crash barriers and the world's first pitching crash test simulator.