​Honda has completed a $138 million expansion at its Anna Engine Plant, to produce* nearly all of the steel engine parts that previously were imported from Japan and that will increase the Shelby County plant’s role as Honda’s lead engine plant in North America. The expansion, which included the addition of new environmentally responsible technologies, also created 100 new jobs. The expanded production in ferrous casting and machining resulted in the establishment of high-tech spin-casting and quick-casting technologies that save energy and reduce waste. Much of the new production is housed in a 135,000-square-foot building expansion for the casting and machining of engine cylinder sleeves, crankshafts, camshafts and connecting rods. Localizing nearly all of Honda’s North American steel engine parts production at Anna is tied to Honda’s expanding auto production in the region. “This major project has increased Honda’s flexibility and speed in responding to changing customer demands in North America,” said Dan Smith, plant manager of the Anna Engine Plant. “Localizing steel parts production in Ohio is a testament to the skills and capabilities of our associates. I am proud of what our associates are doing to meet Honda’s production requirements in North America.” Honda announced the Anna plant project in 2006, when the company said it would build a new auto plant in Greensburg, Ind. The Indiana plant is making final preparations to manufacture Civic sedans with engines from the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio. On Sept. 15, Honda started producing four-cylinder engines at a new engine plant in Ontario, Canada to help meet growing North American demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. The annual production of 200,000 engines at Honda of Canada Mfg. will enable the Anna plant to supply four-cylinder engines to the closer Indiana plant. The Anna plant will continue supplying V-6 and some four-cylinder engines to the Canadian plant, and now is shipping steel parts for the new engine production in Canada. In addition, the Anna Engine Plant supplies camshafts, cylinder sleeves and crankshafts to Honda’s engine plant in Alabama. Honda Manufacturing of Alabama machines its own crankshafts and connecting rods for the engines assembled there. The expansion project went beyond adding new production, said Jim Hranica, who managed the two-year expansion project. “In addition to the new steel parts capacity, we implemented new technologies and relocated existing casting and machining lines to maximize the plant’s manufacturing efficiency,” Hranica said. The Anna plant has produced 16.5 million engines and expanded many times since engine production started in 1985. Honda employs more than 15,000 Ohioans at five manufacturing plants, major vehicle R&D and tooling engineering centers, a regional distribution center and other operations supporting Honda’s auto manufacturing in North America. Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda’s first overseas subsidiary. Honda began U.S. production in Ohio in 1979, and began U.S. automobile production in 1982 at its Marysville, Ohio, auto plant. The company has invested more than $10.6 billion in its North America operations, including 15 major manufacturing facilities employing more than 35,000 associates and producing more than 2 million products annually. Honda partners with more than 650 North American suppliers and purchased more than $18.8 billion in parts and materials from North American suppliers in 2007. *Honda vehicles are produced using domestic and globally sourced parts and materials. Honda operations in Ohio