General Motors will invest $328 million in its Flint assembly plant, creating or preserving about 150 jobs, as the automaker prepares for next-generation full-size pickups, expected in 2013.
"That is the bread and butter of General Motors," Dana Rouse, the UAW bargaining chairman at the Flint factory, said of the pickups.
Some of the factory updates are already in progress. For instance, the plant's shutdown during the first two weeks of July allowed some of the work to be done. Still, the plant will likely close for about eight weeks next year to prepare to build the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, people familiar with the plans have told the Free Press.
“This investment will allow us to continue building award-winning full-size pickups that offer better fuel efficiency than ever before without sacrificing features and functionality,” said Cathy Clegg, GM vice president of Labor Relations.
GM had already said it would add a third shift worth about 750 jobs to the Flint factory this year, with the positions going to transfers and laid-off workers. Today's Flint announcement is part of the 4,000-job, eight-state hiring blitz CEO Dan Akerson trumpeted in May, as GM prepares for U.S. consumer demand for cars and trucks to continue to grow.
