About 150 supply companies in the Buckeye State netted $9.2 billion dollars doing business with Honda in 2012. They include automotive stamping company JATDCO of Strongsville, and Sensical Incorporated, a maker of insulation, surface protection, and car components based in Solon.
Both were among those honored last week as Honda’s top suppliers serving its North American plants.
Ron Lietzke is a spokesman with Honda North America, based in Marysville, Ohio. He says Honda’s North American operations produced a record 1.7 million vehicles in 2012, and that’s kept Ohio suppliers plenty busy.
"We're back up to full production at all of our facilities," says Lietzke. "In addition, our plant in Greensburg, Indiana added a second shift. And approximately 80 of our suppliers in Ohio supply parts to the plant in Indiana."
Meanwhile, rival car maker Ford spent $15 billion dollars on automotive suppliers in neighboring Michigan last year. The Dearborn-based company says strong sales of its Ford Focus in both the U.S. and China helped drive demand.