GM Relocating Performance Build Center to Bowling Green

Wed, Jan 30 2013
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – General Motors will relocate its Performance Build Center, which allows engine aficionados to build their own specialty engines, from Michigan to the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, home of the Chevrolet Corvette.

The move, backed by a $3.5 million investment and slated for the first quarter of 2014, was part of a consolidation of GM Powertrain engineering sites.

The Performance Build Center has been the source for the 6.2L LS3 V8 engine, which powers the Corvette Grand Sport Coupe manual version; the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine for the Corvette Z06 and the 6.2L Supercharged LS9 engine for the Corvette ZR1.

The move will eventually allow Corvette customers to combine the experience of watching their Corvette being assembled with participating in the build of their vehicle’s high-performance engine. Details on which engines would be available for customer assembly will be announced in the future.

“This is exciting news for the Corvette Assembly Plant and the community of Bowling Green,” said plant manager Dave Tatman. “We host thousands of guests each year, many of whom are here to see their Corvette being built. Bringing the Performance Build Center here simply adds to the thrill of purchasing a Corvette and increases satisfaction for our customers and employees."

In 2011, GM announced a $131 million investment for Bowling Green Assembly, including construction of a new body shop and renovations and upgrades throughout the facility. The improvements support production of the next-generation Corvette, which Chevrolet unveiled on Jan. 13, just before the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

“The fine work by the dedicated members of UAW Local 2164 has been proven in building these sports cars. We are pleased with the investment and the resulting transformation of our plant,” stated Joey Cato, UAW Local 2164 shop chairman.

The final economic impact for the Bowling Green community is yet to be determined but will include approximately 20 created or retained jobs, specifically for the Performance Build Center. In the past year, more than 150 jobs have been added to Bowling Green Assembly and more growth is expected as production of the 2014 Corvette begins.

“General Motors is an important key to the continued economic growth of South Central Kentucky,” said Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. “This latest investment into the Bowling Green Corvette Assembly plant will not only enhance GM’s commitment to the region but will provide added appeal to the many visitors they host each year. It is beneficial to the local community, the state of Kentucky and all involved.”

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Wed, Jan 30 2013
PONTIAC, Mich. – General Motors will invest $200 million into its Global Powertrain Engineering Headquarters to build a new 138,000 sq.-ft. test wing, which is expected to be completed during the second half of 2014.

The plan is part of GM’s previously announced commitment to invest $1.5 billion in its North American facilities in 2013.

The expansion will enable the company to consolidate work being done at four locations remote to the Pontiac campus, helping to reduce development timing for GM’s next-generation advanced propulsion technologies. When the moves are complete, GM will have added approximately 400 jobs to the Pontiac campus.

Under the expansion plan, engineering development work currently being done at leased facilities in Wixom, Mich.; Castleton, Ind. and Torrance, Calif., will move to Pontiac. Also, GM R&D’s Propulsion Systems Research lab in Warren, Mich. will relocate to the Pontiac campus. GM previously announced that work being performed at its hydrogen fuel cell facility in Honeoye Falls, N.Y., would be consolidated in Pontiac in mid-2013.

“These moves will help our entire Powertrain team work more effectively across the organization to develop the powertrain technologies we need to build the world’s best vehicles for our customers around the world,” said Sam Winegarden, GM vice president of Global Engine Engineering.

In addition, the Performance Build Center, currently located at the Wixom facility, will move to GM’s Chevrolet Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky., by the first quarter of 2014.

The new test wing is part of GM’s Powertrain Development Center, used by engineers to bring advanced, fuel-saving powertrains to market faster and less expensively because they take less development time. The 450,000 sq.-ft. facility is one of the largest and most technically advanced powertrain development centers in the world.

The center’s state-of-the-art facilities allow engineers to test engines under extreme conditions, including cold ambient temperatures, high RPMs, and repetitive starting and stopping, to assure world-class durability, reliability and quality.

The work GM conducts at its Wixom Advanced Engineering Lab, including electric motor engineering development and performance engineering, will be transferred to Pontiac by mid-2015. Electric motor design and production is a core business for GM in the development and manufacture of electric vehicles.

The Torrance Advanced Technology Center’s work on electric motor and power electronics engineering development will be transferred to Pontiac by the end of 2014. GM considers these technologies key to the future of sustainable transportation.

Heavy-duty transmission, power electronics, hybrid and battery electric drive unit development work done at Castleton will be transferred to Pontiac by mid-2014. GM’s work on heavy-duty transmissions is core to its pickup truck development.

And GM R&D’s Propulsion Systems Research Lab will be relocated to Pontiac during the second half of 2015. This work is critical to providing industry-leading technologies for GM’s engines, transmissions, and hybrid systems.

Having completed a consolidation of seven southeastern Michigan Powertrain Engineering facilities in 2008, this wave of Powertrain Engineering consolidation will allow GM to cut 640,000 square feet of floor space and eliminate three leased facilities in the United States.