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April 14, 2002
 Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC (HMA) welcomed thousands of residents of Lincoln and surrounding areas to the automaker's first open house today at its $580 million minivan and engine facility. Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, U.S. Rep. Bob Riley and Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson were among dozens of state and local officials who attended the event.
"This open house was a chance for the associates at HMA to return just a small measure of the hospitality we've received from the people of Alabama since our arrival a few years ago," said Kathy Jones, senior vice president of business operations for Honda. "Again, we have been overwhelmed by the interest the community has expressed in our Odyssey production facility. Today was another milestone day for Honda in Alabama."
The six-hour open house included plant tours, a display of Honda products and free food and soft drinks. More than 5,200 visitors toured the plant Sunday. Another 8,500 Honda associates and their family members attended a similar event on Saturday. Nearly a fourth of the 2,000 associates at HMA volunteered to work as hosts for the weekend open house.
The open house marked the first time the general public has been allowed inside the 1.7 million-square-foot facility. A steady flow of visitors was welcomed throughout the day on a self-guided tour of the plant's stamping, welding and body assembly operations.
The event also included a display of company products, including Honda and Acura automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and power equipment.
A 1:00 p.m. ceremony featured the burial of a time capsule containing items from the company's April 2000 groundbreaking event. Several students from Talladega County Schools who were involved in that ceremony returned to the plant Sunday for the time capsule dedication. The time capsule will be re-opened in April 2010.
HMA will produce 650 Odyssey minivans and V-6 engines each day when full capacity at the plant is reached later this year. HMA's Lincoln facility brings Honda's total U.S. capital investment to more than $6 billion. |
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