LINCOLN — By this time next year, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama will be producing the V-6 Honda Accord sedan.For those who may have lost count, that brings the number of vehicle models that will be made at HMA to four, with the Odyssey, the Pilot, the Ridgeline and now the Accord.
Tracy Shaddix, who lives on the Talladega County side of Oxford and works in the frame assembly section of HMA, said Honda associates are excited about the new opportunity.
“I think it’s awesome, and it shows how much trust and faith Honda has in the Alabama associates,” Shaddix said. “In 2001, we were building one model, the Odyssey. Now, seven or eight years later, we’ll be building four model types.”
Shaddix said this brings more job security to associates and an opportunity to build Honda’s flagship model.
Honda spokesman Ted Pratt said this is the right car for the right time for HMA.
“The market is certainly shifting right now and Honda has the ability to react to market demand very quickly,” Pratt said. “Even though we’ve only built Odysseys, Pilots and soon the Ridgeline, bringing the Accord down here shows the flexibility and the capability of our associates at Honda.”
HMA expects to begin Accord production in mid-2009 and will be produced on line two at the plant. Line two will have the capability to build the Odyssey, Pilot and Accord and line one will have the capability to build the Odyssey and the Ridgeline, according to Pratt.
“At this point we’ve got our engineers working and we will be sending some associates to Ohio for training to study how to build the Accord and how to efficiently transfer the knowledge of the Marysville plant down here to us,” Pratt said.
The Marysville, Ohio, plant currently produces both the V-6 and four cylinder engine models of the Accord. Marysville will continue production of the four-cylinder Accord.
HMA will produce the Accord V-6 engines, as well, which are similar to the V-6 engines currently being made at the facility.
Due to production adjustments for the Accord and the launch of the Ridgeline, HMA will reduce light truck production by about 22,000 units through March 31. The adjustment periods will be on Fridays in November and over the week of Thanksgiving. Additional adjustment periods will be in February and March 2009.
Pratt said during the times the plant is not producing vehicles, associates can still come in to work if they choose or take the shift off without penalty if they choose. He stressed no layoffs will occur.
“This will add job security for the 4,500 people that work there. It couldn’t come at a better time with the way the financial world is going right now, ” said Calvin Miller, Talladega County Economic Development Authority executive director.
Pratt said the Accord has been listed on Car and Driver magazine’s “top 10 vehicle list” for 22 years.
“If there’s one vehicle that registers in people’s mind about Honda and Honda products, it’s certainly the Accord,” Pratt said.
