Honda plans plant expansion, 100 new jobs

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New automotive jobs may be coming to Ohio.

Honda Transmission Manufacturing of America is seeking an expansion of its Russells Point transmission plant — an expansion that will mean more than 100 new jobs.

The company said it filed for a zoning change in Logan County as a “first step” to proceed “with a significant expansion of the existing facility.” The project proposes a 200,000-square-foot building expansion.

Honda spokesman Ron Lietzke said the company strives to make its products close to its customers. The existing transmission plant needs the additional capacity and the ability to “implement new technologies,” he said.

“The bottom line is, it (the expansion) will help us meet the needs of our customers here in North America,” Lietzke said.

The automaker hopes to see construction of the expansion start before the end of the 2010, with production in the new facility beginning two years from now, he said.

Upon completion, this project will create more than 100 new jobs, Honda said. Lietzke expects a more precise projected employment figure in an early December groundbreaking.

The transmission plant is one of Honda’s more unique plants, taking raw steel and putting it through a hot forging process to make gears, Lietzke said.

Honda wants to purchase land and arrange a rezoning to support the expansion. On Thursday, Honda said it presented to the Logan, Union, Champaign Regional Planning Commission plans to acquire and rezone 60 acres next to its facility near Russells Point.

The plant has more than 1,000 employees in a facility on land covering 136 acres. Workers there make automatic transmissions for models assembled at Honda’s two Ohio auto plants, as well as other North American Honda plants.

Russells Point is about 30 minutes north of Urbana.

Honda in Ohio employs around 1,300 Miami Valley residents, including more than 300 at a Troy distribution center off South Stanfield Road. In total, Honda has about 13,500 Ohio employees.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.