Columbus, OH – The Columbus Region’s automotive supply chain industry has recovered nicely from the recession, driven largely by Honda’s growth and the emergence of a significant base of automotive suppliers supporting that growth. Those findings are part of a Columbus 2020 report released today that examines the Region’s automotive-based economic performance over the last five years.
Not surprisingly, Honda figured prominently in that performance. Honda’s North American production increased from 1.03 million vehicles in 2009 to 1.81 million in 2014. In the Columbus Region, the Marysville and East Liberty plants saw a 58.5 percent increase from 2009 to 2013 before dipping 10 percent in 2014.
To better understand how the automobile industry—regionally and globally—recovered so significantly since the recession, Columbus 2020 collected and analyzed a variety of industry, employment and business data, and partnered with local economic development organizations to conduct in-person interviews with six companies. The profile also includes 13 automotive company interviews from Columbus Global Connect’s market assessment of foreign direct investment.
Key findings include: