Ben Doster
What is Our Mission?
The mission statement of Honda is “Maintaining a global viewpoint, we are dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality, yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer satisfaction”. This was evident when we took a tour of the facility today. Our tour guide kept stressing to us how important it was that the company continues producing high quality products at a fair price. This prompted the question as to why they did not produce their products in an area with cheaper labor. Our tour guide then explained that if that were the case, the products might not carry the same sense of quality that their customers demand from them.
Who is Our Customer?
The customers of Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing Inc. are homeowners all across the world. Although many of their products are sold and used right here in the US, they make a product for just about everyone in every environment. The reason why I say their customers are usually homeowners is because at this facility, they manufacture small engines that are used in lawnmowers, snow throwers, etc. People trying to maintain their own property or the property of someone else more often than not use these products.
What Does Our Customer Value?
The customers of Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing Inc. value the quality behind the products that Honda produces. According to our tour guide, Honda small engines are priced higher than many of their competitors due to the fact that they are built stronger in order to last longer. It is for this reason that the customers of Honda are willing to pay a little more in order to obtain a more reliable and well-built piece of equipment.
What are the Results?
As a result of all this, the Swepsonville, NC plant of Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing has seen a great amount of business in the past few years. As with any seasonal manufacturing job, they must employ some people for seasonal positions, however Honda Power Equipment has never laid anyone off in the North American division. That is something that very few companies can say. As of now, the plant we visited had a little over a thousand employees on the pay roll, making them the number one job provider in the area.
What is our Plan?
There are no immediate plans for this plant to change their current production habits. As of now, the Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing Inc. is planning on continuing with the products that they are currently producing. Our tour guide mentioned how their facility was currently behind on the quota so they will keep the seasonal employees on the pay roll for a little bit longer this year in order to catch up and produce as many engines as they originally planned on.
I was very impressed with our visit to the Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing Inc. Considering that it was a plant that was responsible for a majority of the small engines that Honda produces, I was surprised that it was not any larger than it was. Due to the nature of the company however, it is not some place that I would be too happy to work at.
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