The year 1982 was a revolutionary year for the auto industry and the the state of Ohio. The first foreign car to be produced in the United States was made here in the state.

"We started with just a few hundred a day. We started a very gradual buildup, now we're close to a couple thousand a day,"Honda Associate Chief Engineer Bob Muth said.

Muth started with Honda 24 years ago when it opened with one goal, to make motorcycles. No one, not Honda, not the employees, nor many of the locals ever imagined this.

"There was no thought of anything growing to this size. When we started production here Honda was not a dominant player," Muth said.

Honda of America has progressed so much it now hangs flags from every country it exports to. Today 16,000 Ohioans are employed by Honda. Last year alone the company bought nearly $4 billion worth of parts and services from Ohio suppliers.

Honda just expanded it's engine plant in Ohio. It hopes to soon build 1.2 million engines a year.

© Dispatch Productions, Inc., 2002. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

Back to Previous Page