Cherokee County has had among the state’s lowest unemployment rates over the past several months, and that should continue for some time, thanks to the latest announcement by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama officials at their plant in Lincoln.

The auto maker — which produces Odyssey minivans and V-6 engines for the company — last Tuesday announced a $425 million, 1.1 million square foot expansion at the plant which just began production last November.

Officials expect 2,000 additional jobs which would nearly double the current work force of 2,300 by the time the expansion is completed in two years.

That figures to trickle down to other plants which produce parts for the main operation in Lincoln, including KTH Leesburg Pro-ducts, which makes steel frame components for Honda.

KTH Leesburg began production at the end of last October, a little more that 16 months after it first announced in June of 2000 that it would be building in the Cherokee County community.

KTH-Leesburg was scheduled to have between 150 and 175 employees by this summer at its 170,000-square-foot facility. According to Administrative Manager Gene Cleveland, they’ve already reached that level and are producing 500 frames per work day for the main plant.

KTH-Leesburg officials said they would be discussing production needs with the main Honda plant in Lincoln.

The Lincoln plant currently produces 500 minivans and V-6 engines per day, or about 120,000 a year. It projects production to increase to 150,000 by September with the figure increasing to 300,000 per year by the time the expansion is completed.

“Obviously when your main customer announces that it is increasing production, hopefully it means an increase in jobs at your plant,” said Cleveland.

Cleveland said KTH officials will be talking with Honda about its plans, “but it’s too early to tell if this will result in more jobs or a building expansion here.”

Honda also said it will increase annual production capacity in North America from 1.22 million to 1.4 million units by late 2004. Along with the Alabama expansion, Honda said it will increase production at Honda of Canada Manufacturing and its Anna Engine Plant in Ohio. The expansion boosts the number of automobile manufacturing and supply jobs in Alabama to 36,000 and more firmly entrenches the state as one of the South’s automotive capitals. Five major auto manufacturers have located in Alabama in recent years: Honda in Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz in Vance, Toyota in Huntsville, Navistar in Huntsville and Hyundai in Montgomery