Honda has a history of picking small towns for new auto plants.

Experts say the three rural agrarian towns rumored to be in the running for a new Honda assembly plant fit into a strategy that has paid off for the company before.

Two of the sites are in the Ohio communities of Octa and Van Wert, and the third is in Indiana. All three are within a short drive of urban areas. David Cole of the Center for Automotive Research says that has been successful for Honda in the past.

Thirty years ago, Honda chose a similar site at Marysville, outside of Columbus, for its first North American plant. The plant now employs 16,000 Ohioans.

The automaker announced plans last month to build the plant in the Midwest as part of a more than $1 billion global expansion.