Honda Cars : Honda transfers Ridgeline pickup between assembly lines at Alabama plant | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda employees celebrate the transfer of the Ridgeline pickup at the Alabama factory in Lincoln.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Ridgeline pickup was transferred to Line 1 at Honda's Alabama auto factory in Lincoln today, about two months after production on it was halted on Line 2 to prepare for move.

The transfer allows the automaker to continue to prepare Line 2 for the addition of the Acura MDX SUV, which will arrive next year.

Transferring models between assembly lines is significant, because it also requires the transfer of tooling and dies that are used to make that model. Employees also receive training on the model that is new to their line.

The move also demonstrates Honda's trademark manufacturing flexibility.

In the case of the Ridgeline at the Lincoln plant, the pickup had previously been built on Line 1, up until last year, when it was moved to increase production of the Odyssey minivan on Line 1. Now, it's back.

Along with the Ridgeline and Odyssey, Honda's 4,000 Alabama workers also build the Pilot SUV in Lincoln and the V-6 engines that power all of the vehicles. Ridgeline production started there in 2009, after it was transferred from Canada.

The Lincoln plant has been a busy place lately, as it is adding jobs, readjusting shifts and increasing production capacity.

Sales of the vehicles are rising.

Source;
http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2012/08/honda_transfers_ridgeline_pick.html

Honda Cars : Honda is a blessing | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

It seems there is no shortage of discouraging economic news, but there are times when the best thing we can do is sit back and count our blessings rather than our problems.

Alabama has certainly benefited from assembly plants of three of the brightest jewels of the automotive industry in recent decades, and the crown jewel of those three lies in Talladega County.

The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama lists 19 manufacturing facilities for automobiles, light trucks and heavy trucks in the southeastern states. Of the three manufacturers within the state — Honda, Mercedes and Hyundai — Honda boasts the largest workforce with 4,000 associates, with Mercedes having 2,800 team members and Hyundai 2,700. Honda’s payroll exceeds $250 million annually.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama alone contributes $4.5 billion annually to the Alabama economy, representing three percent of the state’s Gross State Product, according to the EDPA study. The EDPA lists Honda’s capital investment in Alabama at $1.4 billion.

In addition, 38 Tier 1 suppliers have located operations in Alabama, bringing an additional 4,000 jobs to the state.

Honda is hosting a celebration Monday, marking the 10th anniversary of the day the first vehicle rolled off of the production line at the plan in Lincoln.

Gov. Robert Bentley plans to be there to help celebrate the milestone with HMA president Tom Shoupe, Congressman Mike Rogers, community leaders and other Honda executives.

The event is the next milestone in the history of Honda in Alabama.

That began in 1999 when Honda selected Lincoln as the site of its next vehicle and engine plant, with an initial projection of employing 1,500 associates.

That was followed by a groundbreaking ceremony for the plant April 25, 2000, and the hiring of the first HMA employees that same year.

The first “customer-ready” Odyssey minivan rolled off the line November 14, 2001, six months ahead of schedule.

Since that time Honda added production of the Pilot sport utility vehicle at the plant, the innovative Ridgeline pickup and the Accord V-6 sedan.In September of last year, Honda announced it’s Alabama plant had built its two millionth vehicle and V-6 engine. Honda has announced hundreds of millions of dollars in expansions to the plant at Lincoln, and earlier this year announced plans to built the Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle in Alabama beginning in 2013.

Just this month, the company announced there would be no layoffs in spite of a production slowdown caused by flooding that stopped production of parts in Thailand, just as it did earlier this year when a tsunami interrupted the supply line in Japan.

Honda’s achievements are certainly worthy of celebrating as blessings for our state—blessings worth counting.

Source;
http://www.dailyhome.com/view/full_story/16417252/article-Honda-is-a-blessing?instance=home_opinion

Honda Cars : Honda to build new CR-V in Alliston, shift MDX to Alabama | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

It's a day of mixed news at Honda of Canada Manufacturing (HCM) as employees were informed this morning that the automaker's redesigned 2012 CR-V will be built in Alliston, while the Acura MDX production is transferring to Alabama in 2013.

Auto industry analysts have been speculating for months about Honda's plans for its crossover vehicle - a mix of sports utility and hatchback/station wagon. It's anticipated to make its debut later this year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and scheduled to start appearing in dealer showrooms this fall.

Honda introduced North American CR-V production at its East Liberty, Ohio, and Mexican plant, for the 2007 model year.

"The CRV has continued to gain in market share, and is the second-highest-selling Honda vehicle in terms of Honda Canada's sales, " noted Lisa Timpf, HCM's Manager of Associates, in an email to Free Press Online. "By producing the CRV and Civic at HCM, we will be building in Canada more than 50 per cent (by volume) of the products Honda Canada sells."

However, that news was tempered by the continuing production slow downs due to the parts situation as a result of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

"We anticipate the adjustments will need to continue through the summer months, and have identified the detailed schedule for May and June 2011," wrote Ms. Timpf. "This includes (now that we know it's a longer term picture) running non-production days on Mondays and Fridays through May at all HCM plants. For the majority of these days, Associates continue to have the option to work, or to take time off. For one of these days, Associates will be asked to take time off only, but we are providing some flexibility for coverage by pulling ahead a bonus normally paid out in June, and allowing them to convert it into floater days if they wish, to use to cover non production time. So we are trying to minimize the impact on Associates by giving them options.

During the month of June (starting June 6), Plant 1 and Engine Plant will go to one shift, to allow us to use some of the manpower freed up to cover vacation and work on key business activities.

All Associates will still continue to work, so condensing to one shift is simply an issue of re-allocating manpower. Plant 2 will have a similar schedule to May (ie Mondays and Fridays designated as non production days), and will continue to operate on two shifts. Plant 1 and Engine Plant will work 8 hour days on one shift throughout June, with the exception of two Fridays where all HCM Associates will be asked to exercise one of their time off options (vacation, floater, unpaid, etc. at their choice)."

HCM employs more than 4,200 people at its two assembly plants in Alliston.

Source;

http://www.madhunt.com/honda-crv-allistn-20110502.html

Honda Cars : 2 millionth Alabama-built Honda rolls off assembly line | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

From left, Honda associates David Lyner, Doris Ashworth, Robert Dunham, Sandy Miller, Michael Tuggle and Michael Jones celebrate the production of the two millionth vehicle at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama.

Associates at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama LLC (HMA) on September 3 reached a production milestone at 8:28 a.m. with the completion of the 2 millionth Honda vehicle and V-6 engine built in Alabama.

The Taffeta White 2011 Pilot EXL Touring, was driven off the line by HMA associate Sandy Miller of Oxford, Ala. Passengers in the vehicle included Honda associates: Robert Dunham, Goodwater; Michael Jones, Trussville; David Lyner, Oxford; Doris Ashworth, Goodwater; and Michael Tuggle, Gardendale.

The roll-off of HMA's 2 millionth vehicle comes less than nine years after the start of mass production at the $1.4 billion facility on November 14, 2001.

"The commitment and dedication of each associate has allowed HMA to quickly reach this production milestone and meet the needs of a record number of customers," said Nobu Sanui, HMA president and CEO. "In October of 2006, we celebrated building the one millionth HMA Honda. And today, less than four years later, we have built our two millionth Honda in 'Sweet Home Alabama.'"

HMA is the sole North American production source of the Pilot sport utility vehicle, the Odyssey minivan, the Ridgeline pickup and the V-6 engines that power each vehicle. HMA also shares production of the Accord V6 Sedan with the Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio.

On August 31, 2010, HMA began production of the all-new 2011 Odyssey minivan, which is scheduled to arrive at dealerships in late September. HMA employs more than 4,000 associates at its 3.5-million-square-foot Lincoln facility and has the capacity to produce as many as 300,000 vehicles and engines each year.

Source;
http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/26381/Alabama-built-Honda-assembly

Honda Cars : New Honda minivan launched in Lincoln | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

by Patrick McCreless

LINCOLN -- The factory floor was dim, save for a few strobe lights.

Suddenly the sound of a revving engine reverberated through the building, the lights came on, and Honda Manufacturing of Alabama’s first assembled 2011 Odyssey was revealed.

A project three years in the making at the Lincoln plant, the new-model minivan represents, for Honda officials, a transport to a brighter future for the company.

Like the rest of the automotive industry, the American Honda Motor Company took a big hit after the recession began in 2008. But after two years of struggle, the company has begun to pull itself out of a sales slump and expects its new-model minivan to stimulate that trend.

With expectations so high about the new vehicle, excitement during the unveiling at the plant Tuesday was understandably high, particularly for Jason Dean, who was the project leader for the 2011 Odyssey at the facility.

“This is the most exciting time of my life except for my marriage and two children,” Dean said shortly after driving the new vehicle off the product manufacturing line.

Dean said his feelings about the minivan were echoed by many of the plant’s employees due partially to what it represents – a further push out of the recession for the company.

“Some of the biggest challenges for us was the economy at the time,” Dean said. “But we’re nearly through it. “(The employees) are excited about this car … they are ready to get this going,” Dean said.

Chuck Ernst, HMA senior vice president, agreed that the new minivan would improve company sales, especially since the previous Odyssey has been the best selling vehicle of its class for the previous two years.

“To combat a soft economy, it can’t get any better than launching a new model,” Ernst said. “We expect to hit our sales target for this.”

From what Dennis Virag, president of the Michigan-based research firm Automotive Consulting Group, has learned about the 2011 Odyssey, he expects the company to do well in sales for the coming year.

“It’s a very nice vehicle,” Virag said. “It’s going to be best in class in terms of fuel efficiency. They’ll do well in sales.”

Honda has struggled with slumping sales for some time now.

According to numbers released by the company, Honda sold 417,979 of its main product-line vehicles during its fiscal year between July 2007 and July 2008, which include the Odyssey, Ridgeline Accord and Pilot. Between July 2008 and July 2009, those numbers dropped considerably to 281,753 vehicles sold.

This year, however, sales have improved considerably.

Between July 2009 and July 2010, Honda sold 302,508 vehicles.“It’s been a good year compared to the last two years … though we still are not up to where we were,” said HMA spokesman Ted Pratt.Along with sales, Honda has shed some of its workforce during the recession.

Before the recession, the plant employed 4,500 workers. Around 4,100 people work at the plant today. Ernst noted, however, that employment at the plant has remained relatively steady for most of 2010.

Part of the reason for the increase in sales this year was due to changes Honda officials implemented at the Lincoln plant. Before the recession began and gas prices skyrocketed, the plant was only producing 2010 Odyssey minivans and Pilot SUVs, both of which are not particularly fuel efficient.

Then gas prices began to rise and sales of the two models started to slide.

In response to consumer demand, the plant was augmented in 2009 to also produce the more fuel efficient Ridgeline pickup truck and the Accord V-6 sedan. HMA is the exclusive global production source for the Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline.

While the recession hurt Honda, the company has fared better than others in the automotive industry, Virag said.

“Honda has been doing well,” Virag said. “They were fortunate to have a good portfolio … such as a small SUV base and not a lot of large SUVs.”

Virag said other manufacturers were trying to sell too many vehicles with poor gas mileage during the height of the recession.

“When the downturn hit, Honda was less impacted than other manufacturers,” Virag said.Virag added that Honda has also been helped by Toyota’s highly publicized vehicle recalls earlier this year.

“I think it has helped all the manufacturers and has helped Honda somewhat,” Virag said.

Specific details about the new Odyssey, including cost, will not be released until late September when the vehicle arrives on dealership floors. However, what is known is the new minivan is a complete redesign of the previous model.

“Compared to the old model, this is more intuitive to use for drivers and passengers,” Ernst said.

“And from a comfort point of view … it has a very appealing comfortable interior.”

Source;
http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/9342123-New-Honda-minivan-launched-in-Lincoln

Honda Cars : Honda tweaks Odyssey production process at Alabama plant | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Honda's Alabama factory will begin mass production of the redesigned Odyssey minivan in about four weeks, a company executive said Monday during an auto industry event in Michigan.

The production version of the Odyssey, which has been updated for the 2011 model year, made its debut in June during a dealer meeting in Denver.

The new vehicle has a sleeker shape than its predecessor, along with more space for passengers and cargo and new twists on storage compartments.

The latest Odyssey also is bringing changes to Honda's production processes, Mike Oatridge, vice president of manufacturing at the Lincoln plant, said during the Center for Automotive Research's Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Mich.

For instance, during past model changes, employees would begin writing operations standards after the first prototypes were built. This time, they were written before then, allowing workers to make a vehicle geared to their actual process flow and not a hypothetical concept.

Specific assembly steps changed, too, to improve ergonomics and cut waste. On the current Odyssey, for example, employees use a rubber mallet to ensure the rear quarter glass is fitted properly, but for building the new minivan, there's an attachment clip that makes that task easier.

Elsewhere, new larger parts have been moved to a supplier for subassembly, eliminating the need for employees to do overhead work. Lift-assist devices also were added on the Lincoln assembly lines.

The Alabama plant was involved in the earliest stages of the new Odyssey's development, Oatridge said, with several manufacturing workers embedded in a Honda research and development center in Ohio.

"This was a year before they issued their first drawings, which provided the chance to learn about the conceptual ideas for the new product and how it would impact the plant," Oatridge said in his speech, which was provided by Honda.

He also outlined the plant's response to the industry's deep sales slump in 2008 and 2009, which forced output to be slashed and production to be idled on more than 65 days.

During that time, Honda shifted production of the Ridgeline pickup from Canada to Alabama. The move kept Alabama workers busy while they continued to build the slow-selling Odyssey and Pilot SUVs, and it freed up more space in Canada to build the better-selling Civic.

Honda also shifted production of the V-6 Accord sedan from Ohio to Alabama, allowing more 4-cylinders Accords to be built in Ohio.

Sales of the Alabama-made vehicles have been improving along with the rest of the industry, prompting overtime in Lincoln.

But there's a lot riding on the new Odyssey, which will compete with Toyota's redesigned Sienna minivan, launched earlier this year.

The new Odyssey will arrive on dealer lots this fall.

Source;
http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2010/08/honda_tweaks_odyssey_productio.html

Honda Cars : The engines that could: Honda marks 10 years manufacturing in Lincoln | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

A decade ago, workers began construction of a facility that would eventually generate thousands of jobs for the area, and today officials will celebrate that milestone.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln will mark the 10-year anniversary of the groundbreaking at 11 a.m. at the plant. Gov. Bob Riley and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, as well as other state and local economic development officials, are scheduled to attend the event.

Part of the celebration — which will not be open to the public — will include the opening of a time capsule that several Lincoln High School students buried at the site 10 years ago.

“We are fortunate that some of the students are still in the area and will attend,” said Ted Pratt, spokesman for Honda. “They will share their thoughts on how things have changed in the last 10 years.”

The Honda plant itself, which employs more than 4,000 people, has changed much in the past decade.

When operations began at the plant on Nov. 14, 2001, the facility was about 1.7 million square feet and produced 2002-model Odyssey minivans. However, by 2002, Honda officials announced the plant would increase in size.

“The popularity of the Odyssey was the driving force behind the growth,” Pratt said.

The plant is now 3.5 million square feet in size.

In 2005, the size of the facility’s engine plant was increased to 300,000 square feet to keep up with demand. Workers in the engine plant cast certain parts for vehicle engines.

Pilot SUVs were added to the production lines as well as a model change for the Odyssey in 2004. And, with the economic recession’s impact on the vehicle industry, in 2009 the plant began producing Accord V-6 sedans and Ridgeline pickups.

“Throughout the past 10 years, we’ve been in a growth mode,” Pratt said. “Now we are concentrating on stability of construction and constant improvement to quality.”

Source;
http://annistonstar.com/view/full_story/7385839/article-The-engines-that-could--Honda-marks-10-years-manufacturing-in-Lincoln?instance=1st_left

Honda Cars : Honda's Alabama Plant Tour closed until January 01, 2008; Working on the 2009 Honda Pilot? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Here's something interesting, the Odyssey / Pilot factory in Alabama is closed for tours due to "special projects". Could this be the heavily guarded 2009 Honda Pilot? If it is, they are either still retooling for full production or have even begun initial production. The secrecy could be due to the redesigned Pilot for the 2009 model year. Factories do close for retooling for new models and this could also be getting the 'concept' ready for the Detroit Auto Show.

Here's the link;

http://www.hondaalabama.com/index.php?submenu=Tours&src=gendocs&link=Plant%20Tours&category=Tours