T Mac
02-28-2008, 07:51 PM
DAYTON, Ohio — Honda Motor (HMC) plans to stop making motorcycles in the USA in spring 2009 and transfer the work to Japan.
A Marysville, Ohio, plant, built in 1979, turned out 44,000 large Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser motorcycles last year and employs 450 workers. Honda said there will be no layoffs and that the workers will fill jobs at its other operations in Ohio. Honda employs about 13,000 at five plants in Ohio. Besides motorcycles, they make the Accord, Civic, Element, CR-V and Acura TL and RDX.
"There were a lot of people who felt disappointment," said plant manager Jan Gansheimer, noting many employees are motorcycle enthusiasts.
Gansheimer said production of 120 motorcycles a day will continue for now. A decision on phasing out production or ending it all at once has not been made.
Honda said motorcycle production at Marysville and at the Hamamatsu plant in Japan will be consolidated at an expanded plant in Kumamoto, Japan.
Click here (http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-02-27-honda-motorcycles_N.htm) to read the entire story from USA Today
By James Hannah, The Associated Press
A Marysville, Ohio, plant, built in 1979, turned out 44,000 large Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser motorcycles last year and employs 450 workers. Honda said there will be no layoffs and that the workers will fill jobs at its other operations in Ohio. Honda employs about 13,000 at five plants in Ohio. Besides motorcycles, they make the Accord, Civic, Element, CR-V and Acura TL and RDX.
"There were a lot of people who felt disappointment," said plant manager Jan Gansheimer, noting many employees are motorcycle enthusiasts.
Gansheimer said production of 120 motorcycles a day will continue for now. A decision on phasing out production or ending it all at once has not been made.
Honda said motorcycle production at Marysville and at the Hamamatsu plant in Japan will be consolidated at an expanded plant in Kumamoto, Japan.
Click here (http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-02-27-honda-motorcycles_N.htm) to read the entire story from USA Today
By James Hannah, The Associated Press