Ohio Recognizes Honda

The state of Ohio, through a coalition of businesses called Ohio Business Development, extended its thanks today to all those who have chipped in for the economic success of the state. Among those companies, Japanese manufacturer Honda was praised for its achievements this year, including the two major milestones reached by the carmaker in recent months.

As we already told you, Honda celebrated the ten-millionth car produced at the company's Marysville. It also celebrated the 25th year of manufacturing engines at the Anna plant in the same state.

"Ohio has amazing resiliency when it comes to innovation and technical know-how," said Eric Burkland, president of the Ohio Manufacturer's Association and co-chair of the state's Auto Industry Support Council. "Ohio's network of auto suppliers represents all facets of motor vehicle production."

The Japanese company is currently employing 13,500 people in Ohio and is responsible for $5.5 billion in auto parts ordered in 2009 from 160 auto parts suppliers.

Together with some of its competitors and other automotive companies, including Ford, Delphi and GM, Honda is responsible for 15 percent of the state's total economic output for last year.

The economic body which added the numbers also said that Honda is more or less responsible for 700,000 square feet of retail space added in Marysville.

"In Ohio, we just have brilliance in all kinds of materials that support manufacturing in general, but in auto manufacturing in particular, and manufacturing technologies, process technologies and process know-how," Burkland added. "Ohio has all the components that make up an advanced industrial economy."