GM invests US$877M in Flint Assembly upgrades
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
New body facility will link assembly plant with Flint Metal Center
General Motors will invest US$877 million in Flint Assembly as part of its $5.4 billion 2015 investment plan. PHOTO: General Motors
FLINT, Mich.—General Motors has announced its oldest assembly plant in North America will undergo a transformation in the coming years.
GM will invest US$877 million to build a new body shop for the assembly plant, locating it closer to the Flint Metal Center, which supplies sheet metal and other parts used in the Chevrolet and GMC full-size pickups produced in the assembly plant. The investment will also cover improvements to the general assembly area inside Flint Assembly, as well as retooling and the installation of new equipment at the plant.
“This investment will allow us to use a more innovative approach to deliver material between two critical facilities, reducing handling and the time it takes to ship parts,” said Cathy Clegg, GM North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations vice-president.
Since 2011, GM has announced investments topping $1.8 billion for Flint Assembly. This includes $600 million for plant upgrades and a new standalone paint shop that is under construction and slated to open in 2016. Work on the 883,000-square-foot body shop is expected to begin in the first half of 2016, with completion slated for 2018.
“In the last several years, GM’s investments in the city of Flint have topped $2.5 billion, creating hundreds of construction jobs and an economic boost for the community,” Flint Mayor Dayne Walling, said. “This investment not only strengthens the ties between GM and the city, it demonstrates that Flint continues to play an important role in the resurgence of manufacturing in Michigan and the rest of the United States.”
GM’s Flint Assembly opened in 1947 and has produced more than 13 million vehicles. The plant’s “View Builds,” as they are called, allow customers to see their heavy-duty Silverados or heavy-duty Sierra trucks being assembled and roll off the line after a series of quality checks by members of UAW Local 598.
“While the plant has received numerous awards for initial quality and long-term durability and reliability, our latest investments in the plant will raise the bar in vehicle quality and customer satisfaction,” Clegg said.
The announcement completes the $5.4 billion in investments GM and the UAW announced at the end of April.
