Honda Boosts Production At Plants In Canada, Ohio

DETROIT: Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is boosting production in Canada and the U.S. through facility expansion. The plans call for Honda to gain an additional 160,000 units of production at its Canadian minivan plant and an additional 110,000 units of engine production at the company's Ohio engine plant. The announcements come just one day after Honda announced its plans to invest $400 million in a new minivan or SUV assembly plant in Lincoln, Ala. The plant is expected to employ 1,500 people and reach an annual output of 120,000 of vehicles and engines by 2003. The company said it will increase production of its widely popular Odyssey minivan one full year ahead of schedule at its Alliston, Ont., plant. The move gives the company a maximum output of 120,000 units from its minivan production line by this summer. Additionally, the company plans to invest another $30 million to add 40,000 units of additional minivan production at the Alliston facility. The move would bring total Odyssey output to 160,000 units by 2001. The company also plans to invest $30 million to boost engine production from its Anna, Ohio, engine plant. The move will add another 110,000 units of engine capacity. The company also said it has decided to sell 7,000 units of Mexican-built Accord sedans in the U.S. this fall. The company made the move to alleviate "acute shortages of Accord in America."