SWEPSONVILLE, N.C. - Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing said it will more than triple the annual engine capacity at its plant here to 1 million units. The $16 million expansion will add about 40 jobs, the company said.

Beginning this month, the plant is manufacturing new GC 160 Series engines for use in Honda lawn mowers and for sale to original equipment manufacturers for use in water pumps, pressure washers and generators. This adds to the plant's estimated yearly production capacity of 300,000 engines.

The company said the manufacturing equipment for the GC 160 engines was located in Honda's Hamamatsu, Japan, factory and is being relocated to North Carolina. Assembly of the new machines began in May. The company said it expects to reach full annual production capacity of 1 million engines by October.