Engine Plant fueled by heritage – Building for the future

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ANNA — The Anna Engine Plant (AEP) opened in 1985 as a 200,000 square-foot facility with just 94 associates. Today, the 2.8 million square-foot facility is Honda’s largest engine plant in the world, with more than 60 production lines covering casting, machining, heat treating, and assembly operations, and is one of the industry’s most vertically integrated engine plants. The facility supplies engines and powertrain components for Honda and Acura products made in Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Canada, Mexico, and other locations across the globe and has produced nearly 30 million engines over the past 35 years.

The company has submitted the following report:

Associates at Anna produced engines for four exciting new models in 2022, as well as a new Honda-first powerplant that will drive the company’s newest hybrid models. These models were manufactured at plants throughout North America and all were supported by the efforts of the hard-working teams at the Anna Engine Plant.

The team introduced a newly refined hybrid engine that will help lead the company into its electrified era, as Honda has set the goal of having 100 percent of its sales come from electrified vehicles by 2040.

The all-new, 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine built at AEP is the first Honda engine to combine high-pressure direct-injection with multistage injection for an extremely homogeneous mixture that delivers clean combustion. Developed for use as part of Honda’s new hybrid powertrain, the new Atkinson-cycle engine was introduced in the 2023 CR-V hybrid, which is being built at Honda plants in Canada, Indiana and East Liberty, Ohio.

The sixth generation CR-V, which is the best-selling SUV of the last 25 years in the U.S., is already playing a key role in the Honda electrification strategy with CR-V hybrid-electric models positioned at the top of the lineup and expected to represent about 50% of annual CR-V sales.

In May, AEP built the turbocharged 1.5-liter VTEC engine producing 200 hp and 192 pound feet of torque for the Acura Integra, which marked the first factory Integra to feature a turbocharged engine. The powerplant went on to be named one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 2002 and played a major role in the Integra being named as the North American Car of the Year for 2023.

Anna associates also worked very closely with their compatriots in Alabama to assist in the production of a new all-aluminum V6 engine for the 2023 Honda Pilot. The two sites collaborated on the assembly of the engines, with the blocks continuing to be cast by Anna associates.

The team didn’t stop when the calendar flipped over, providing the turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine and the 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle powerplant for the 2023 Accord and Accord hybrid respectively. The latest Accord model rolled off the assembly line in Marysville on Jan. 5.

The Anna Engine Plant has already started the process of manufacturing electrified products and components, as Honda expands hybrid and electric vehicle sales significantly in the coming years. While change is imminent, it is still in the formative stages, and Anna’s internal combustion engines continue to have a place in Honda’s current lineup.

So as Honda changes, it’s logical that the role of our plants, and our associates, will need to change as well and our Anna leadership team will be prepared to support them as we make this transition.

From the onset of the pandemic, the company has been committed to keeping its associates safe at work, all while managing production and delivering high-quality products to a global customer base. This would not have been possible without the many talented associates at the plant who rose to the challenges and came together as one team to support the company.

The team at Anna did not let the challenges of 2022 dampen their giving spirit.

For the first time in three years, Anna Engine Plant associates were able to interact in-person with local high-school students during National Manufacturing Day. Associates were able to provide a number of hands-on activities and made presentations to students about the many potential careers available in the manufacturing field. In total, 255 students from seven area schools attended the event.

In June, the Anna plant delivered 831 donated food drive items to the Shelby County Agape Distribution Center to help those experiencing food insecurity. In July, associates donated 773 school supplies that were given to the Shelby County Salvation Army to help students in the area.

The number one most requested item by community agencies is socks. The Anna plant collected and delivered 5,308 pairs of socks to nine local organizations in five area counties in the month of October.

Anna associates once again supported the Salvation Army through “Angel Tree” donations. Associates could select a paper angel from a tree located in the plant and enjoy shopping for that person’s holiday items. Anna associates provided gifts to 125 individuals in our community.

Honda has eight ENERGY STAR plants in America and the Anna plant proudly carries this banner. Honda continues to be one of the industry leaders in earning the EPA certification for energy efficiency at all of its mass production auto plants in the U.S. In 2022, Anna received its fifth award.

“Last year was a challenging and exciting time for Honda’s Anna Engine Plant. We helped launched numerous new models, including the powertrains and components for the Honda Civic Type-R, Acura Integra, Honda CR-V, Honda Pilot, and Honda Accord,” said AEP Plant leader Rick Riggle. “This was a great accomplishment for the team at Anna who also demonstrated great flexibility in managing through supply chain challenges while keeping quality and our customers as our top priority.”

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