Honda is planning a 200,000-square-foot expansion at its transmission plant in Russells Point, Ohio, the Columbus Dispatch reports. The automaker will also add 100 jobs at the facility.

"These are good signs to us that Honda sees things turning for the better in the future," Tony Core, Logan County commissioner, told the Dispatch.

For the past two years, Honda had been reducing its work force at the site. The transmission facility reached peak employment of 1,100 workers in 2008. After the expansion, it will have a new high of 1,150 employees.

If local officials approve Honda's plans, it will begin the expansion by the end of the year. The facility, which currently has 1,050 workers, produces transmissions for several Honda models, including the Accord and CR-V. It is able to produce 800,000 transmissions annually at maximum capacity.