Honda Pulls Plug On Bike Production in U.S.
Honda Pulls Plug On Bike Production in U.S.
In a release issued by American Honda Motor Co, Inc. the company cited the move as part of a "global Honda strategy for production of certain larger motorcycles." The GL and VTX model lines are currently built in the Ohio plant, but come spring of next year all "motorcycle production from the Marysville Motorcycle Plant and the historic Hamamatsu Factory in Japan" will be consolidated at a new motorcycle plant in Kumamoto, Japan, according to Honda. The most well-known GL model is the Goldwing. A total of 44,000 Goldwings and VTX cruisers were produced at the Marysville facility last year
Underpinning the decision is Hondas investment of approximately $11 billion in North American auto production operations and is part of the company's plan to "focus the company on its leader role in Hondas North American automobile operations."
This move must've shaken a number of the small companies that do a large amount of business with the Japanese auto and motorcycle giant, not to mention residents and workers in the Midwestern town. But in a reassuring move Honda stated that the 450 employees working at the Marysville Motorcycle Plant will be integrated into the four auto production facilities dotting Ohio. "There will be no layoffs," according to the company. Surely this was good news to those workers as they will remain part of the 15,000 people Honda employs across the state.
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