LINCOLN, AL—Honda Manufacturing of Alabama recently announced another expansion at its factory here, a little more than a year after its last one. According to AL.com, the automaker is pumping another $54.8 million into the plant and adding more than 50,000 square feet to its Line 2 operations. The project is expected to be finished in early 2021.

Honda said the project will improve vehicle manufacturing flexibility, strengthen the efficiency for future models and prepare for future technologies. The Talladega County Commission approved a tax abatement for the project about a week ago. 

Last year, Honda announced an $85 million expansion at the south end of its Line 1 operations. It expects to open that addition next month. Together, the two projects will add more than 425,000 square feet to its production operations. The company employs more than 4,500 people and has invested more than $2.6 billion in its plant, which annually produces more than 340,000 vehicles and engines.

The announcement also continues a series of major automotive announcements for Alabama. Since late March of 2017, the state has announced seven vehicle production projects, totaling more than 5,400 jobs and encompassing more than $3.3 billion in investments.

In one year's time, all of Alabama's major auto plants have announced expansions, as well as Mazda and Toyota announcing a $1.6 billion auto plant to be built in Huntsville.