Honda Motor Co. is spending $50 million to expand a transmission factory in Ohio as it upgrades U.S. assembly operations and works to restore full production slowed by an earthquake.
The investment in the Russells Point, Ohio, factory includes construction of a 7,000-sq.-meter addition to the plant for a new die-casting operation, the carmaker said. The investment comes after Honda this year said it planned $355 million of upgrades at plants in Ohio.
Honda is refurbishing factories as it resumes full North American production this month after parts shortages triggered by the March earthquake left Honda and Acura dealers short of models. The company's U.S. sales fell 5.5 percent this year through August, and market share shrank to 9.1 percent from 10.6 percent as industrywide deliveries rose 10.5 percent.
Bridgestone's U.S. plant
KyodoBridgestone Corp. said Thursday it will build a new plant in the United States to make tires for construction and mining vehicles to meet growing demand in North, Central and South America.
The plant will be built in South Carolina and is slated to start making giant tires in 2014, with daily capacity rising to about 130 tons by 2020.
Bridgestone said it will invest about ¥82.5 billion to boost production capacity for large tires, including at other manufacturing bases.
The company will also spend ¥18 billion to expand its output of tires for cars at another production facility in the United States, Bridgestone said.