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JOHNSON COUNTY
Anticipating a ripple effect
Honda plant in Greensburg may help Johnson County

Widespread effect: Greensburg businesses (above) welcome the Honda auto assembly plant and its 2,000 jobs. But the plant will create a demand for services that could extend into Johnson County. - Matt Detrich / The Star By Aldrich M. Tan
aldrich.tan@indystar.com

July 4, 2006

Honda chose Greensburg for its new plant, but local experts expect plenty of benefits for Johnson County.

The effect of 2,000 new jobs and the potential for new suppliers might be more obvious for Shelby County and Shelbyville, because of their proximity to Greensburg. But the Honda plant will bring more business to Johnson County as well, said Cheryl Morphew, executive director of the Johnson County Development Corp.

"It's still two years down the road, but the future looks promising," she said.

The construction of the plant, announced June 28, could draw upon contractors and workers within a 100-mile radius, said Blake Hauth, project architect for Takenaka USA Corp., , a Greenwood design firm that often works with Japanese companies in the United States.

"An enormous amount of labor and money will go into a plant that needs to be built in two years," he said. "They're going to pull tradesmen from all over."

Once it opens, the Honda plant may mean additional business for local auto parts suppliers that already work with the company.

KYB Manufacturing, on U.S. 31 in Franklin, produces all the shock absorbers and struts for the Honda Civic in North America. Honda has not announced which model it will produce at the new plant.

"Essentially, we'll have more demand, so we'll work overtime and hire more people," said President Dave Billingsley.

Casting Technology Co. and NFK Corp. -- both in Franklin -- also produce auto parts for Honda, Morphew said.

The plant's supply of jobs might trickle to Johnson County as well. Greensburg is only about an hour away.

"You're going to see folks being pulled from here to work there, as well as Marion and Shelby counties," Morphew said.

Plant employees might choose Johnson County for housing because of its proximity to Indianapolis, Morphew said.

"Some people will choose to live closer to amenities and drive farther for their job."