GREENSBURG — In a rare opportunity, Honda recently opened its doors to show the inner workings of its Indiana Auto Plant.
As one of the two engine manufacturers for INDYCAR, Honda showcased not only its commitment to producing vehicles for the American market but also discussed the uncertainty ahead to due tariffs.
At the heart of Honda's operations in Greensburg is Ben Hertzinger, the Engineering Project Leader for New Model Development of the CR-V.
With pride rooted in his Hoosier identity, Hertzinger emphasized the significance of establishing the facility in Indiana, underscoring the importance of bringing jobs to the area.
"Honda has had a long commitment to producing vehicles where we sell them – that’s part of the reason the factory is established here in Greensburg," Hertzinger stated.
The Indiana Auto Plant stands as one of 12 Honda manufacturing facilities across the United States, employing about 2,600 Hoosiers.
During a tour of the plant, WRTV was given a glimpse into each stage of the manufacturing process, which includes popular models like the Civic Hatchback, CR-V, and CR-V Hybrid.
The facility produces 1,000 vehicles each day.
Among the highlights is the new Honda CR-V Trailsport, which is exclusively manufactured at this location.
"Producing the CR-V is something our associates have a lot of pride in - adding the Trailsport and being the exclusive provider for the U.S. market - we are responsible for meeting those expectations for our customers," Hertzinger added.
Roxanna Metz, the VP of Operations at the Indiana Auto Plant, talked to WRTV about the potential impacts of tariffs.
"The tariff impact for Honda is the unknown - we don’t quite understand what is happening and what will be next. We are confident in the Indiana Auto Plant - our flexibility is so good we know our associates can bend for whatever comes our way," Metz said.
In light of recent tariff uncertainties, Honda has announced that it will be bringing the production of the Civic Hatchback Hybrid back to Indiana by the end of the year.
The model had previously shifted to a plant in Japan with more capacity to allow Greensburg to focus on CR-V production.
"Because of the uncertainty of tariffs, we wanted to make sure we could be more flexible - bring it back to Indiana - we have the flexibility we can build it anywhere," Metz said.
Despite these adjustments, Metz noted that the plant is operating at full capacity, producing 250,000 vehicles annually.
