40 years of production also celebrated at Marysville Auto Plant
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Honda leadership came together Thursday, Jan. 5, at the Marysville Auto Plant for a special ceremony to unveil the all-new 2023 Accord and Accord hybrid, creating a new chapter in the storied history of the plant, where the Accord first rolled off the production line upon its November 1982 opening.
In celebrating the 11th generation Accord, each of the speakers Thursday paid tribute to the devoted MAP associates who made this day possible, also noting the 12.5 million Accords that have been produced at the plant in the last 40 years.
“There’s a reason why the Accord has been America’s number one best-selling car. It’s because of you” said Mitsugu Matsukawa, president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, LLC (HDMA), told the large crowd of associates gathered for the festivities, who also enjoyed the chance to take selfies beforehand with Gov. DeWine.
“It’s a wonderful sight looking out here and seeing all of these faces. We’re here celebrating with our family at Marysville,” said MAP plant lead Jun Jayaraman. “I personally want to thank you each of you. Yes, the 2023 Accord has the sleek styling and the smooth ride, but the one thing that has always set us apart has been our associates.
“Accord’s decades-long sales success speaks to the leadership and pioneering spirit of Honda associates in Marysville, who have consistently delivered high quality products for our customers over the last four decades.”
The governor remarked that just over 40 years ago, Mr. (Soichiro) Honda made the decision to come to Ohio based on one very important factor.
“While we have the water and the land resources here in Ohio, but what manufacturers are really wanting to know is where they can find good workers?” asked DeWine, who also celebrated his birthday Thursday, with many associates and fellow speakers passing along birthday wishes.
“Thank you for your dedication in making a quality product that has led to this success and a bright future for Ohio. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today.
“While the first car was produced here in 1982, I was also was a candidate for Congress at that time, with Union County part of the area I was representing. I have always enjoyed this close connection with Honda.”
Two of the original MAP associates from 1982 who still are Honda employees today, Rick VanGundy and Mike Rausch, had the honor of helping to lift the cover off the brand new Accord for the ceremony.
A native of Wapakoneta who now lives just north of that city, VanGundy said he was living in Bellefontaine upon being hired in August of 1982.
“My uncle worked for Honda and encouraged me to apply,” said the 63-year-old, who now works in the new model division at the Anna Engine Plant. “Those 40 years went by fast. It seemed like it was just yesterday that the first car rolled off the line here.”
“It felt like a privilege to have a job at Honda, a job that paid well during a difficult economy in the early 1980s,” recalled Marysville area resident Rausch, noting that many other manufacturers in the region were laying off employees at that time.
Rausch said he began his time at Marysville plant in the assembly department for the first three years, and then made the switch to the paint department at MAP, where he has been ever since.
“I don’t have some of the wild stories that others might have, but I show up every day and do my job. I’m the dependable one,” he said.
During the ceremony, the 2023 Accord Engineering Project Lead Scott Roe also encouraged the associates to take the time to absorb the milestone.
“For some of you, it’s the first time that you’re experiencing the celebration of a new model launch. Enjoy it and soak it in.
“We dealt with COVID-19, supply issues and retirements and attitrition, which made it a challenge to make a new model, but we did it.”
Roe explained that the new Accord’s advanced hybrid-electric system is designed to provide both a sporty, exhilarating driving experience and outstanding fuel efficiency.
Accord hybrid models are positioned at the top of the 11th generation Accord line-up and will represent about 50 percent of sales. In comparison, last year’s hybrid models made up about 23 percent of Accord production.
The 11th generation Accord will be available in six trim levels, starting with the turbocharged LX and EX and topped by the hybrid-powered Sport, EX-L, Sport-L and Touring.
With 247 lb.-ft of torque from Honda’s new 4th-generation two-motor hybrid system, the 2023 Accord hybrids are the most powerful ever, officials noted. Also, the new two-motor unit is manufactured at the Ohio Transmission Plant in Russells Point.
The MAP plant lead and DeWine noted the Marysville plant’s importance in moving into the electrified future, touching on Honda’s announcement in the fall alongside LG Energy Solution about the new electric vehicle battery plant to be located in Fayette County and the retooling of each of the Honda plants in Ohio for electric vehicle production.
“Even though we’re the oldest plant in the region, Honda still looks to us as we’re moving into the future,” Jayaraman said. “We had the launch of the new Acura Integra in May, and now the 2023 Accord, an important moment in our company’s history.”