Honda's East Liberty Auto Plant in East Liberty, Ohio is celebrating 30 years of production, having produced its very first automobile three decades ago. The facility was erected 7 years after Honda's first automobile plant, in Marysville, Ohio, started operation in 1982, and in the 30 years that it's been operational, the East Liberty Auto Plant has churned out an impressive 5.9 million cars and crossovers.

From the beginning, Honda's East Liberty manufacturing facility aimed to be a highly flexible assembly plant, capable of producing multiple models on a single production line. Today, it builds the Honda CR-V, Acura RDX, and Acura MDX, but past products have included the Honda Civic, Accord, Element, and Crosstour, as well as the Acura CL coupe.

"Honda's success at the East Liberty Plant has been achieved due to the innovative and passionate associates who have advanced technology within the plant to ensure our customers receive high-quality products," says East Liberty Plant General Manager Nari Hirase.

At its inception, the assembly plant represented a $380 million investment with a production capacity of 150,000 units, and 1,800 associates in its employ. Now, Honda says the plant is a $2 billion investment with a 240,000-unit capacity and 2,800 associates.

Honda of America Mfg. has come a long way since it first launched. Four decades ago, in 1979, the Japanese company produced its first motorcycles in the US, becoming the first Japanese automaker with an American production presence. The company celebrated its motorcycle plant's 40-year milestone back in September.

Honda's East Liberty Plant is just one part of the automaker's combined $13 billion-plus investment into Ohio since 1979, encompassing the Marysville Motorcycle Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant, and other manufacturing and research facilities.

Honda has invested in its East Liberty facility as recently as this year, incorporating a new 5,700-ton stamping press that began full operation in August. The press makes use of cutting-edge vision and robotic systems, and it's capable of stamping aluminum panels - a brand-new capability for the East Liberty Plant. The press area is housed in a new, 60,000-square-foot addition.