Metro Spotlight: Greensburg/Decatur, Indiana

A Location With Everything Going For It

Uniquely situated along 1-74 between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, Greensburg/Decatur County has proven itself to be a great place to live, work and prosper. Area residents enjoy multiple golf courses, a state-of-the-art youth sports complex, first-class medical care, and dozens of community gatherings, events and festivals. Greensburg/Decatur County is a strong site selection choice for a variety of reasons, including labor and land availability, transportation access, quality of life, and a business-friendly tax climate. A reinvigorated rail line, I-74, and Greensburg-Decatur County Airport (which has a 3,500-foot paved runway) provide multiple access points to today’s lanes of commerce, with the utilities and technology capabilities in place to support businesses of all sizes. Whether dealing with customers on Main Street or in Tokyo, businesses can rest assured that their efforts can be supported in Greensburg/Decatur County.

Greensburg/Decatur County boasts two shovel-ready sites, and training and education funding is available for development. Home to a new Honda auto plant, Greensburg/Decatur Economic Development Corp. is actively courting other overseas companies and will soon post a Japanese-language version of its Web site.

Honda’s $550-million Decatur Plant Starts Rolling

Honda recently completed its new $550-million automotive plant on a 1,700-acre tract in Decatur County, IN, near Greensburg, 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis. The plant is beginning mass production of fuel efficient four-cylinder vehicles this fall, with an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles and employment of 2,000 associates. The new Indiana plant, Honda’s sixth auto plant and 14th major plant overall in North America, will help boost Honda’s total North American auto production capacity from 1.4 million units to more than 1.6 million units in 2008, grow Honda’s employment in North America to more than 37,000 associates and increase North American capital investment to more than $9 billion.

“Honda’s success in America has been based on our strong commitment to our customers,” says Koichi Kondo, president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and chief operating officer of Honda’s North America Region operations.

“We believe the great state of Indiana has what we need to continue this success-an outstanding community of people, excellent transportation systems, and the necessary infrastructure to support industry. It is an ideal location in the Midwest both for our network of parts suppliers and as a central location for all of our customers across the country.”

In 2005, American Honda achieved record U.S. sales of 1,462,472 new Honda and Acura cars and light trucks, the ninth straight year of record annual sales. In order to meet growing demand, Honda executed its plan to build the new Indiana manufacturing facility less than 24 months.

The new Decatur plant will has the same type of flexible New Manufacturing System that is found in Honda’s other auto plants in the U.S. and Canada, with advanced technologies that provide the flexibility to produce different models more quickly and efficiently. Major processes performed at the Indiana plant include stamping, welding, painting, plastic injection molding and assembly operations.

Honda has made a significant commitment to limit the environmental impact of the new Indiana plant. Every major Honda plant in North America strives to meet the ISO 14001 international environmental management standards. The Indiana plant employs advanced methods of energy and emission reduction with the goal to become a “zero waste to landfill” factory.