When Rob Fox started at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in 1989, he only planned to stick around for a few years.
“I had a friend who worked at Honda, and he got me an application,” the senior tech specialist in Fabrication at the Auto Development Center (ADC) in Ohio said. “My plan was to work for a few years and then go to college. But Honda was such a good place to work.”
The short-term job turned into a career for Fox, who has been with Honda for nearly 34 years.
“I enjoy having the opportunity to work with talented people who share a passion to make the best product for our customers,” he said. “Every day, there’s something new and challenging. Things change on the fly. It’s what make this an enjoyable place to work. I really enjoy coming to work every day.”
Fox started on the door line in Plant 1 at HCM in 1989 and worked in several different areas of the plant until he was transferred to Plant 2 to help start the line in 1996. Once Plant 2 was online, Fox became a trainer in New Model, a job that took him to Ohio in 1998 for the first-generation Acura MDX.
“Every project is unique and different. Just seeing a new product going from prototype to mass production and then seeing it driving down the road is pretty amazing. It’s really satisfying to know people want our product. It’s a good example of being a company society wants to exist.”
A trip to Ohio in 2001 for the first-gen Honda Pilot changed the course of his career – and life. While visiting in 2001, Fox met his future wife, Anne (above). They married in 2003, and Fox moved to Ohio, taking a job at Honda R&D America, now known as ADC. Ever since, Fox has worked in Fabrication, building prototypes of all kinds, including the Pilot, MDX, TLX, ZDX, Odyssey, Element, Ridgeline and others.
“I enjoyed working on all of them,” he said. “Every project is unique and different. Just seeing a new product going from prototype to mass production and then seeing it driving down the road is pretty amazing. It’s really satisfying to know people want our product. It’s a good example of being a company society wants to exist.”
Fox enjoys overcoming the challenges Fabrication throws at him and the ability to get creative. In fact, his favorite project was a lesson in creating something new – a cut body of a 2016 Pilot that also was drivable. Originally made for display at the Pilot launch to show off features to media, the cut body was then featured at Honda’s Meet the Innovators exhibit at COSI (Center of Science and Industry) in Columbus, Ohio, where millions of visitors saw it.
“This vehicle had everything working, and you could see the full details inside the body on how it was made,” he said. “This included everything from cut seats, visible airbags and ability to see the wiring layout inside the vehicle. It was funny seeing it drive around.”
Some prototypes Fox has had a hand in have never seen the light of day, but the projects have all been enjoyable.
“Doing stuff like that is really exciting for us,” he said. “We live for that – to be able to build and create. We love being creative and seeing the end product. We put a lot of pride into it.”
Fox also puts pride into his activities outside of work, including volunteering. Fox gives back to the community through the C. Diff Foundation with his wife, who contracted C. diff (Colstridiodes difficile) in 2014. It was a scary time for the couple, but Anne pulled through, and Fox supports his wife’s advocacy work through the Peggy Lillis Foundation.
“It was a proud time for me when she got to speak at the Statehouse two different times to tell her story about how we need to recognize this disease in the health care system,” he said.
“We live for that – to be able to build and create. We love being creative and seeing the end product. We put a lot of pride into it.”
Outside of Honda, Fox gets back to his Canadian roots by watching lots of hockey. He enjoys golfing and the water, especially when he’s driving his jet ski. Each December, Fox never misses a chance to raise money for the Charity Newsies and loves knowing his work helps clothe thousands of central Ohio children in need.
Even though Fox didn’t intend to stay at Honda for long, this unexpected route has given him many great experiences he will always treasure.
“I got to meet Mr. Honda when he toured HCM in ’90,” Fox said. “That was a big deal for me as a kid. I thought ‘That guy’s name is on the car we’re building.'”
