[ANTHONYD]

Honda to boost Civic production in Alliston
By CP

Honda Canada is expanding production of the Civic compact sedan -- the best-selling car in Canada -- at its assembly complex in Alliston.

At the same time, Honda is shifting output of the Pilot large sport utility vehicle from Alliston to Lincoln, Ala.

The automaker said yesterday that overall production in Alliston is to remain at 390,000 units annually.

Production of the Civic sedan will be added in April on the Alliston factory's second line, which has built only light trucks since opening in 1998.

This will follow a shift starting in February of Pilot production to the Alabama plant, which will return to its full capacity of 300,000 vehicles a year and will become the sole North American source for the Pilot and the Odyssey minivan.


Alliston Plant 1, opened in 1987, will continue to concentrate on Civic sedans and coupes and the Civic-based Acura



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When was the last time a NA company did this? Maybe Chrysler with the launch of the Caravan.

[OAC_Sparky]

ANTHONYD,Oct 24 2006, 10:26 AM Wrote:When was the last time a NA company did this? Maybe Chrysler with the launch of the Caravan.
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We did the same when we were building the Windstar. 95-97. That'a when my wife was hired.

See, it all depends how you spin things. You could say that the Civic needs more production (which it does, granted, sell well) but what you gloss over the fact that the Pilot isn't selling well and they're reducing capacity. By shifting production numbers, you keep the plant at nearly full capacity, where it is at its most efficient.

Which is what we have in Oakville with the flex plant retool. Keep the plant fully utilized, shift production to what is needed, scale backe what is not. That way, you don't have layoffs or a two year span where people work two weeks on, two weeks off.

[darkpuppet]

^-- good point.. interesting how they've put a positive spin on it.