In a press release, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. announced the investment of $267 million at two of its Ohio facilities to support mass production of the 2018 Honda Accord, along with the addition of 300 new jobs.
The Marysville Auto Plant was earmarked to receive $220 million of the overall investment. Of that, $165 million is earmarked for a weld department equipped with 342 welding robots. The company’s nearby Anna, Ohio-based engine plant also received $47 million to support the production of the Accord’s inaugural use of turbocharged engines.
The operations will use new technologies, including a laser brazing process and new stamping techniques, as well as high-performance structural adhesives and the application of acoustic spray foam to the body of the car.
The decision to ramp up production at the Marysville and Anna facilities comes after the automaker's recent announcement of a combined $149 million investment at its Russells Point, Ohio, and Tallapoosa, Georgia, plants to facilitate the production of a new 10-speed automatic transmission.