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Industry experts think Honda will pick Indiana over Ohio

Kimberly King

May 17, 2006

Greensburg -- Honda has confirmed they are going to build a new plant in the United States, but the location is still a secret.

"If it's more of the same they'll pick Ohio, but it's not going to be more of the same." IU Kelley School of Business professor Charles Dhanaraj is confident Honda Corporation is coming to Indiana. "They've opened plants recently in Alabama and Georgia," said Dhanaraj who says the fact Honda already has a auto plant in Marysville, Ohio bodes well for Indiana. "They're not looking for put all their eggs in one basket."

Honda said officially Tuesday they've narrowed the field to Indiana and Ohio for a new auto plant scheduled to open in 2008. Dhanaraj and other industry experts say Ohio may be tapped when it comes to an auto workforce. That's one of several reasons why experts feel Honda will pick Greensburg, Indiana as the site for the plant. The site is close to a rail line as well as Interstate 74. Dhanaraj also thinks Indiana's universities from I-U to Notre Dame to Purdue will also serve as an incentive for Honda to access talent from those schools to manage the plant.

"Everybody just has such optimism and a level of enthusiasm," said Melina Fox who grew up in Greensburg.

"Being a farmer I think too if Honda comes and builds more flex cars or hybrids with our opportunity for ethanol production I think we're a perfect match."

Dhanaraj says Honda has probably already made their choice but just isn't ready to announce. "They're not the type of company to just decide on a whim."

During a Wednesday morning tele-conference Honda officials said they haven't decided if the plant will build gas or alternative fuel cars. Governor Mitch Daniels has been working with Honda for the last several months on the prospective plant which has been kept a mystery by insiders for the last several weeks.

Nearly fifty Landowners in Greensburg have signed options on their land. Honda gave them a six-thousand dollar check for the right to purchase their properties. The total site is estimated between 1000-1800 acres.

An official announcement on which state will win the plant is expected by July 1st.