General Motors Announces $275 Million Investment For Truck Plant

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

October 27, 2011

General Motors announced yesterday they will invest $275 million for their Fort Wayne, Indiana to build the next generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks. GM says the investment will create or retain 150 jobs on top of the 3,400 workers who currently build trucks at the plant.

“This investment will allow us to continue building award-winning pickups that offer better fuel efficiency than ever before without sacrificing features and functionality. We remain committed to providing customers the utility and capability of our world-class full-size pickups,” said Larry Zahner, GM manufacturing manager, in a statement.

Press Release is below

GM Invests $275 Million in Ft. Wayne Assembly Plant

• Supports next-generation full-size pickups and creates or retains 150 jobs
  

2011-10-26 - FT. WAYNE, Ind. – General Motors will invest approximately $275 million to prepare its plant here to build the next generation of Chevrolet and GMC full-size pickup trucks, creating or retaining 150 jobs.

The plant, which currently has 3,400 employees on three shifts, builds the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups.

The investment announced today is the last announcement of the $2 billion GM announced in May 2011 that will create or retain about 4,000 jobs in 17 facilities in eight states over the next 18 months.

“This investment will allow us to continue building award-winning pickups that offer better fuel efficiency than ever before without sacrificing features and functionality,” said Larry Zahner, GM manufacturing manager. “We remain committed to providing customers the utility and capability of our world-class full-size pickups.”

September was a very good month for GM’s full-size pickup trucks. GMC Sierra sales were up 26 percent and Chevrolet Silverado sales were up 36 percent. Sales of GM full-size pickups have increased month over month since July, contributing to a year-to-date market share gain of about one full point.

“Today’s announcement is great news for the hard-working members of UAW Local 2209,” said Joe Ashton, UAW vice president, representing the GM Department. “Our members’ experience and knowledge will ensure that this next generation of trucks will exceed the expectations of our customers. This is an important vehicle program for GM and the decision to locate the work in Fort Wayne demonstrates our mutual commitment to making GM a great American company.”

I sincerely hope the new trucks don't have a tadpole front end, that would be tragic.

I just hope they lose a lot of the cheap plastic chrome and stop trying to be a mini Mack.

I sincerely hope the new trucks don't have a tadpole front end, that would be tragic.

Well, I think it's safe to say we'll see a toned down version of this face on the next Sierra:

And I'm thinking we'll see an updated version of this face (2009 SEMA Silverado ZR2 concept) for the Silverado:

Keep a watch on the SEMA Chevrolet offerings this year.. GM doesn't have the money to spend on vehicles that they are trying to hide right under our noses Remember, the days of the Terradynes and Cheyenne concept trucks are over... what's being shown is an indication of what we're going to get nowadays.

Edited October 28, 201114 yr by GMTruckGuy74

I just hope they lose a lot of the cheap plastic chrome and stop trying to be a mini Mack.

I think part of the allure of owning a full-size pickup - American and Foreign - is that they emulate Big Rigs! I know I for one would love to tool around in a Mack Granite, but it's just not very feasible. Now a full-size pickup in the shape of a big rig - now that's doable!!

Edited October 28, 201114 yr by GMTruckGuy74

I just hope they lose a lot of the cheap plastic chrome and stop trying to be a mini Mack.

I think part of the allure of owning a full-size pickup - American and Foreign - is that they emulate Big Rigs! I know I for one would love to tool around in a Mack Granite, but it's just not very feasible. Now a full-size pickup in the shape of a big rig - now that's doable!!

At some level it must be (in men) the inner 7 year old itching to play with full size Tonka trucks.

I'm not a truck fan in general, but I have a strange fascination with late '60s-mid 70s vintage Ford F700 and Chevy C60 stake bed farm trucks...or '60s-70s International Loadstar stake bed trucks....must be my inner farmer trying to get out...just would be so cool to have one in suburbia..or maybe I play too much Farmville..

At some level it must be (in men) the inner 7 year old itching to play with full size Tonka trucks.

BINGO - you just described me!!

My inner 7 year old wants to be driving a Porsche 935 at LeMans or the 24hrs of Daytona, or a Lotus 78 at Watkins Glen or at Spa.....I had a subscription to Road & Track as a 7 yr old...got hooked on racing.early..

Anyhoo, it will be interesting to see how the next gen truck turns out...will it lose or gain weight and size? It seems each successive generation has gained size and weight for better or for worse...and the general design has evolved slowly from generation to generation since '88.

Edited October 28, 201114 yr by Cubical-aka-Moltar

I'm confident GM will get the exterior right. I'm mostly worried about the interior.

I'm confident GM will get the exterior right. I'm mostly worried about the interior.

GM is getting their newly released vehicle interiors right, so I'm not as worried about the upcoming full-sizers in the near future.

"right" for a Buick isn't the same as "right" for a truck though.... that is my concern. They have yet to do an interior that is at once work truck rugged and handsome at the same time. The Sierra Denali I had could have been a DTS from behind the wheel if it wasn't for the sound of the Duramax.

I just hope they lose a lot of the cheap plastic chrome and stop trying to be a mini Mack.

There's really only 1 grade of chrome on the front of any vehicle- plasti-chrome. Beamer & Benz use it too.

They have yet to do an interior that is at once work truck rugged and handsome at the same time.

The GMT800s are rugged, yet not terribly refined/classy. The GMT900s got classy, but lost most of the ruggedness.

There's a balance somewhere between the 2 concepts...

Edited October 30, 201114 yr by balthazar

"right" for a Buick isn't the same as "right" for a truck though.... that is my concern. They have yet to do an interior that is at once work truck rugged and handsome at the same time. The Sierra Denali I had could have been a DTS from behind the wheel if it wasn't for the sound of the Duramax.

Ah must have good ears 6.5TD's had a diesel sound DuraMax is quiet very refined indeed

Well there is no mistaking a Duramax for a Northstar in sound.

Well I never have known GMC to offer a Northstar