OREANDA-NEWS. Honda has honored 25 suppliers that provide indirect products and services to five Honda automotive plants in Ohio and Indiana. Driven by record auto production in North America in 2013, Honda also announced that its purchasing for Maintenance, Repair and Operational (MRO) services in this region set a record of more than USD 1.4 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2014.

The MRO purchasing milestone came on the heels of record Honda auto production and parts purchasing in Ohio and Indiana in 2013 with the production of 976,361 automobiles at it three auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, and Greensburg, Ind. MRO purchasing also supports operations of Honda's engine plant in Anna, Ohio and transmission plant in Russells Point, Ohio.

Different from suppliers that provide parts and materials for the mass production of Honda products, the more than 5,000 MRO suppliers support Honda plants by providing a wide variety of equipment, products and services that support the manufacturing of automobiles, as well as their engines and transmissions. These companies include local businesses as well as national companies, and many have grown along with the expansion of Honda's automobile manufacturing in North America since Honda began U.S. auto production at the Marysville Auto Plant in 1982.

"With a host of pinnacle products coming to market next year, and with record production and sales targeted in the coming years, Honda will continue to transform its business by advancing technology in our products and manufacturing operations to maximize joy for the customer," said Tom Lake, vice president for Purchasing and Cost Planning at Honda North America, Inc. "We thank our suppliers for the important role they continue to play in our success by bringing new ideas and value to our business."

In 2013, Honda manufactured a record 1.78 million automobiles in North America, which led to the purchase of more than USD 25.5 billion in parts and materials in the region from 650 parts suppliers, also an all-time annual record. Parts purchasing for Honda plants in Indiana and Ohio last year totaled USD 12.2 billion from suppliers in North America, including more than 200 in Ohio and Indiana.

More than 260 MRO suppliers for Honda plants in Ohio and Indiana attended the annual conference in Columbus for the awards ceremony, networking and professional breakout sessions. Developed to recognize world-class business characteristics, the 25 suppliers were honored for achievements in the categories of Special Recognition, Outstanding Value, Performance Excellence and Supplier of the year.