The Honda Motor Company sensing the vast market potential for its motorcycle, generator, and automotive sales opened Honda Canada Incorporated as its Canadian division in 1969. Honda first began its operations in Canada through its franchise dealers and had small corporate marketing offices scattered throughout the 
country. From 1969 until 1973, Honda mainly focused on selling motorcycles and power equipment across the country.
As Honda Motor Company expanded its offices in Canada from the 1960s until the late 2000′s, it procured land in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and laid plans to construct its Canadian corporate headquarters there. However, infrastructure disagreements with the municipal government of Richmond Hill forced Honda Canada to change its plans and seek other locations in the country for its corporate headquarters. Seeing the employment opportunities that Honda Motor Company was going to provide to the town that eventually would host the company’s Canadian headquarters, the town of Markham, Ontario, moved quickly to create a win-win situation to welcome Honda Canada to its doorstep.
Honda Canada took Markham up on its welcome offer and opened its headquarters there in 2010. Today, Honda enjoys a state-of-the-art corporate headquarters complex located at 180 Honda Boulevard in Markham Ontario. The corporate headquarters complex was designed with the latest green architectural designs and processes throughout its construction. The complex’s buildings are considered some of the best examples of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building architecture to be seen in Canada today.
The corporate headquarters is just one of the latest gems in a long growth history in Canada. Honda began really growing in the country with the introduction of its popular Honda Accord model in 1976. As Honda introduced the Accord, it quickly became a household name across the country from Newfoundland to British Columbia. This fame quickly convinced the Honda Global Headquarters in Japan to expand the company’s footprint in Canada, and in 1984 it began to lay plans to produce Honda vehicles in the country. In its strategic planning of this, the company realized the important part that Western Canada and British Columbia would play in its plans to expand across the country. As a result of Western Canada’s prominent position in the company’s plans, it opened a warehouse, technical training center, and zone office complex in British Columbia in order to provide top-notch professional service to the country.
As the 1980s continued, the company enjoyed immense prosperity and growth across Canada. In 1986 Honda opened its first automotive manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ontario, which was the first automobile factory opened by any Japanese automaker in Canada. Honda’s Acura division then grew itself into the very first Japanese business organization to provide the country with a luxury line of cars. The prosperity of Honda continued to grow after the Acura division started producing luxury cars and Honda was able to establish Honda Canada Finance. Honda Canada Finance was able to provide Honda’s growing customer base and dealer network with top-notch financing options for the company’s growing line of products. The 1980s ended with Honda Canada producing its 100,000th vehicle in the country. This milestone was just a prelude to the company’s tremendous growth in the 1990′s.
The 1990′s saw Honda grow by leaps and bounds and win numerous automotive quality awards. A great example of the growth of Honda Canada was seen in the J.D. Power’s award of the “Silver Plant Quality Award” to the company in 1996. Also in 1998, the company was one of the first to receive the coveted ISO 14001 certification for meeting international environmental standards. The decade ended with Honda Canada opening a second manufacturing plant for expansion of the Acura MDX and Honda Pilot into North American markets. By the end of the 1990s, Honda Canada had grown into one of the country’s top automakers.
In the 2000s, Honda Canada continued to see massive growth in almost every area of its business. It sold its 2 millionth Civic model in 2003. Then in 2007, the Honda Civic completed a nine year run as the best selling passenger car in Canada. As if this wasn’t already a huge accomplishment, the company enjoyed being named one of Canada’s most socially responsible companies in 2010. Today the company stands poised to continue its astounding growth across Canada.
As can be seen from this amazing story, Honda Canada has grown with the country over the last 40 years and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It has grown from a relatively unknown quantity in 1969 to a captain of industry in today’s Canadian business world. As Honda Canada progresses into the future, it will continue to show the leadership and responsibility that has been its trademark since it first came to the country all those years ago.
Sources
“Honda Canada Milestones,” Honda Canada
http://www.honda.ca/honda-in-canada/honda-canada-milestones
“Honda Canada Inc.,” Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Canada_Inc.
“Honda Canada commemorates milestone of 5 millionth vehicle made in Canada,” Car Guide Web
http://www.carguideweb.com/articles/4301/
“Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information – Honda,” Fun Trivia
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/World/Honda-19317.html
George Stanzan is a natural born car lover and insists that he will drive anything at least once. His French-speaking friend sells assurance automobile du Quebec Gatineau and his Honda car is equipped with the proper insurance while he stays there for the remainder of the year.