MARYSVILLE, Ohio – December 20, 2019 – Honda of America Mfg. associates celebrated the holiday season by helping others in the community. Through Honda’s Holiday Wish List program and the generosity of Honda associates, 700 west Central Ohio families will receive toys, clothing and gift cards just in time for the holidays. These individuals and countless others will benefit from multiple collections and drives held by Honda associates at the East Liberty Auto Plant (Logan County), Anna Engine Plant (Shelby County) and the Marysville Auto Plant and Performance Manufacturing Center (Union County).
Associates began collecting items in early November, and this week gathered and distributed all the items to local charities in Logan, Union and Shelby counties. Aside from the 700 Honda Holiday Wish List recipients, all the plants participated in Honda’s ‘Hat, Coat and Mittens Drive’ and collected 1600 items for local residents.
“Our goal as a company has always been to be a good neighbor and to support communities around us,” said Tom Shoupe, Honda of America Executive Vice President. “Our associates are passionate about supporting Honda’s local communities.”
Since 1979, when Honda of America Mfg., Inc. established its Ohio operations, the company has donated more than $100 million in philanthropic contributions, and Honda associates have volunteered more than 100,000 hours of service.
40 Years of Honda Manufacturing in America
Honda marked its 40th anniversary of manufacturing products in America in Sept. 2019. Honda was the first Japanese automaker to produce products in America, beginning with motorcycles in 1979, followed by the start of automobile production in Marysville, Ohio, on Nov. 1, 1982.
Over the course of four decades, Honda has steadily grown its manufacturing capabilities in the region. Honda now employs more than 25,000 associates at 12 plants in America with the capacity to produce more than one million automobiles, three million engines, 400,000 power equipment products and 330,000 powersports products each year, using domestic and globally sourced parts. In 2018, nearly two-thirds of all Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were made in America.
Honda also manufactures the HondaJet advanced light jet and GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines in America. Cumulatively, Honda has invested more than $20.2 billion in its American manufacturing capabilities, including more than $5.9 billion over the past five years. The company also works with more than 600 original equipment suppliers in America with cumulative parts purchases of nearly $400 billion over 35 years.