Ontario is partnering with Honda to make the company's Alliston, Ontario plant one of the most innovative in North America, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced. The partnership reinforces Ontario's position as a global leader in auto manufacturing, and will support 4,000 highly skilled jobs at the plant and thousands more in the supply chain.
Honda will invest about $857 million over three years in leading-edge technologies for vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing, as well as worker training and research and development partnerships with Ontario universities and colleges. This project will make Honda's Alliston operations a teaching plant for all other Honda facilities worldwide.
Ontario will provide a conditional grant of up to $85.7 million for this transformational project. Provincial support helped Honda of Canada Mfg in Alliston win out over other Honda plants which were competing to be chosen for this project. The province's investment will help enhance workers' skills and secure the Alliston plant's long-term future.
QUOTES
"Our government is proud to partner with companies that are making the investments in innovation and skills that help us compete globally. The fact that Ontario successfully competed for this project reinforces our position as a global leader in auto manufacturing, and it is a vote of confidence in our province as a great place to do business – now and in the future."
–– Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
"Honda is a mainstay of Ontario's auto sector and manufacturing base. This investment helps to position the Alliston facility as an innovation leader in Honda's global operations. Our government will keep working with all auto companies to attract new investment in the competitive global auto industry."
— Brad Duguid, minister of economic development, employment and infrastructure
"With today's $857 million investment, Honda is pleased to extend our commitment and deep manufacturing roots in Ontario. In 1986, we became the first Japanese auto company to manufacture in Ontario. Today, we employ more than 4,000 highly-skilled Ontarians in our three plants, have built over 6 million vehicles in this province and our total manufacturing investments in Ontario will now reach nearly $3.9 billion. I would like to thank the Government of Ontario for supporting our efforts to innovate and remain competitive in an increasingly aggressive global automotive market."
— Jerry Chenkin, president and CEO, Honda Canada Inc.
QUICK FACTS
· The Honda investment will generate hundreds of millions of dollars of new business for Ontario-based auto parts companies that supply the Alliston operations.
· Ontario's business support grants are contingent on the company meeting investment and job targets. Projects are closely monitored over their lifespan to protect taxpayers' investment.
· Honda became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture in Canada when it opened its Alliston assembly plant in 1986. It added a second assembly plant in 1998 and an engine plant in 2008.
LEARN MORE
There are no comments
Please login to post comments