GM Celebrates Start of Construction on New $800 Million Lansing Area Assembly Plant
09 März 2004 - 3:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
GM Celebrates Start of Construction on New $800 Million Lansing
Area Assembly Plant DELTA TOWNSHIP, Mich., March 9 /PRNewswire/ --
General Motors and the UAW today celebrated the start of
construction of a new vehicle assembly plant in Delta Township that
is driving an investment of more than $800 million. The new
facility will be a state-of-the-art, highly flexible, people
focused production complex that will incorporate GM's leading
manufacturing strategies. When adding in GM's new Lansing Regional
Stamping plant in Delta Township, GM's combined site investment is
more than $1.1 billion dollars. The Lansing Delta Township Assembly
Plant will be the second totally new vehicle assembly plant built
by GM in the greater Lansing area. The firstwas the Lansing Grand
River Assembly Plant, which began production in late 2000. In
addition, a 500,000 square-foot contiguous metal center is already
operational at the site. This facility provides most of the major
sheet metal to Lansing Grand Riverand will support the new assembly
plant. The State of Michigan, City of Lansing and Delta Township
governments are providing GM with the required infrastructure for
the new site, as well as various tax incentives and training
support. Site preparation and construction started in late 2003 and
production at the plant is scheduled to begin in late 2006.
Products for the new plant have not been announced; however, the
plant will have the capability of building numerous products and
architectures. "Our decision to build a whole new assembly plant is
the result of developing a business case for an all-new product
that has tremendous potential in North America," said Gerald L.
Elson, GM vice president and general manager of vehicle operations.
"An important element of the business case was the work and
cooperation of our employees, the United Auto Workers, the State of
Michigan, local governments, and the greater Lansing community. As
we do business in the extremely competitive global marketplace,the
product and the manufacturing process -- combined with our people
and the community working in a cooperative manner -- are all
essential to develop a business solution that makes sense for
everyone." "Once fully operational, the GM complex in Delta
Township will employ approximately 2,500 employees," said Randy
Thayer, Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant manager. "Working
with our union partners, we will strive for world-class performance
in the areas of safety, quality and productivity." The Lansing
Delta Township Assembly Plant will consist of three buildings
covering approximately 2.4 million square feet. Construction has
already started on the Paint Shop and work will begin on the Body
Shop and General Assembly building later this year. "Both GM and
the UAW recognize that teamwork is critical to the success of the
new plant," said Art Luna, President of Local 602. "Our membership
is committed to working as a team to achieve the highest standards
in safety and quality. We have proven our abilities at Lansing Car
Assembly and we look forward to our future at Lansing Delta
Township." GM and UAW leaders dedicated the start of construction
to the membership of the "Keep GM Lansing Works! Blue Ribbon
Committee." This regional group, composed of government, business,
labor, school, university and other community leaders, was formed
to promote the resources and qualities of Mid- Michigan. "The Blue
Ribbon Committee has worked hard to provide a strong economic
climate, support workforce development and strengthen the
educational system. All these factors are critical for GM to remain
competitive in today's global economy," added Elson. "We are
pleased that this committed group of community leaders are here
today to join in the celebration of this exciting project." The
state-of-the-art facility will be based on GM's best manufacturing
processes, focusing on maximum performance in the areas of safety,
people systems, quality, customer responsiveness and cost. The new
plant will adapt and build on lean manufacturing techniques learned
in GM's greenfield plants around the world. DATASOURCE: General
Motors CONTACT: Heidi Magyar of GM Lansing Communications,
+1-517-885-7005, or Dan Flores of GM Manufacturing Communications,
+1-248-874-7715, cell: +1-313-418-2374 Web site:
http://media.gm.com/ http://www.gm.com/
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