Honda Transmission Mfg. of America, Inc.(Honda Transmission) has announced a $50 million, 75,000-sq.-ft. expansion at its Russells Point, Ohio, plant which will increase the facility's capacity for casting aluminum transmission cases.

The expansion space will house advanced aluminum casting machines to support the addition of a third transmission assembly line that began construction last December. Announced earlier, the new assembly line is part of a 200,000-sq.-ft. expansion that will increase the plant's capabilities to manufacture Honda's latest transmission technologies.

Together, the two projects will create over 100 jobs by 2013.

Currently Honda Transmission employs about 1,000 workers who manufacture transmissions and four-wheel-drive assemblies for automobiles produced at the Marysville and East Liberty auto plants in Ohio, and other plants in North America.

This latest project brings Honda's total new capital investment in its Ohio operations to more than $400 million, and over $8 billion since Honda began manufacturing in Ohio back in 1979. Earlier this year, Honda Transmission added 60 new jobs to support the start of a second shift producing automatic transmissions for the 2012 Honda Civic.

Honda Transmission President Yuji Takahashi said this latest investment in Ohio is another example of Honda uses advanced technologies in both its production operations and products to meet the needs of global customers. "It also demonstrates our commitment to Honda's Ohio production operations to reduce the environmental impact of our facilities while positioning this facility to compete at the highest levels on a global basis," he added.