Honda Expansion Reaches Milestone; Final Structural Steel Installed for Line Two

LINCOLN, Ala., April 14 -- Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC (HMA) today reached a major milestone in the construction of the company's second assembly line with the final installation of structural steel on the $425 million expansion project.

A traditional "topping out" ceremony at 10 a.m. today marked the end of erection of more than 11,500 tons of structural steel on the project in four months and four days. Interior and exterior finishing work on the building shell is also under way and ahead of schedule.

When completed, the expansion will be Honda's most quickly constructed automotive production facility ever.

"Today, Honda, along with our entire construction team, celebrates a major achievement in building construction," said Chuck Ernst, plant manager at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. "The teamwork exhibited each day at this job site is a fitting tribute to the Honda associates who will soon be working inside this structure to produce vehicles of the highest quality for our customers."

It is expected the 1.1 million-square-foot facility will be completely enclosed by early June. The project will be finished by early next year. Currently, more than 1,000 contractors are on-site daily. During the peak of construction later this summer, more than 2,500 contractors will be on site each day.

The second assembly line will increase Honda's employment in Alabama to 4,300 associates, double production capacity to 300,000 engines and vehicles per year and increase Honda's investment in Alabama to more than $1 billion. HMA's facility will total 2.8 million square feet when the expansion is finished. A decision regarding the model to be built on the second line will be made closer to the start of mass production.