Greensburg’s location played a key role in the decision to place the new Honda Motor Co. plant in Decatur County, company and county officials said.
An existing web of suppliers and manufacturers, including Honda parts plants in Ohio, also made Greensburg a “perfect location,” said Koichi Kondo, president and CEO of American Honda Motor Co.
And since Interstate 74 and railways cut through the county, it is well-equipped to ship new vehicles, he said.
“The transportation system is excellent here,” Kondo said. “They’re prepared already.”
Mayor Frank Manus said the area’s roads and rails helped lure Honda but need improvements.
The state will add an interstate exit for the plant, and U.S. 421 will probably be widened to handle additional traffic, he said.
Marvin Jenkins, public information officer for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said the state will move quickly to meet the county’s requests.“Obviously it will need some major work to address the needs of not only the Honda plant but the public in general over there,” Jenkins said.
But Manus said Greensburg will work with the state to finish on schedule.
“We’re not ready today, but we’ll be ready when they’re ready,” he said.
Manus hopes the recent boost in entertainment options and employment opportunities from the plant will fight the area’s brain drain.
By adding new businesses to the town’s six-screen movie theater and four golf courses, Manus said more young people could come back to Greensburg after college.
“We have, I think, a lot of things to entice people to stay in town,” Manus said.
The town’s proximity to surrounding cities also played to its advantage in landing the plant, said Vicki Kellerman, executive director of Greensburg/Decatur County Economic Development Corp.
Its location halfway between Indianapolis and Cincinnati and within driving distance of Louisville offered Honda more than a million potential employees and customers.
“They’ve opened themselves up to a completely new labor pool,” Kellerman said.
