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.July 28, 2004
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This Week:

• Extensive Facelift for the Mazda Tribute

• Four Wheels Go Six Feet Under as Two American Families Bury Their Vehicles in Front Yards

• GM Breaks Ground For $385 Million Engineering Centralization Business Unit

• Go-ahead for the BMW Group Scientific Award 2005

• In-car cinema in the Volkswagen Touran

• Toyota's New Corporate Advertising Campaign Highlights U.S. Job Creation

• DaimlerChrysler Posts Record Sales of 22,200 Passenger Cars in China in First Half of 2004

• Nissan Unveils Business Strategy For Thai Operations

• The Year Of The Car And More In 2005

• New Innovations In Manufacturing Will Further Improve GM's Quality

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GM Breaks Ground For $385 Million Engineering Centralization Business Unit

New building will consolidate 1600 GM jobs in Pontiac
 

Dirt flies as (L-R) General Motors' Executive Director Bill Whitley, Facilities, GM Vice President Ed Koerner, Powertrain, Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson, Pontiac, MI Mayor Willie Payne and David Hollister Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, break ground Thursday, July 22, 2004 on a $385 Million engineering facility at GM's Powertrain Headquarters. (Photo: Joe Polimeni/General Motors)

PONTIAC, Mich. - GM and government officials broke ground on a $385 million engineering facility at GM Powertrain's headquarters site here. The new facility will consolidate 1600 jobs, or most of GM's Michigan powertrain engineering and laboratory operations, into the Pontiac site.

Business areas affected include component and dynamometer lab operations and transmission, diesel and hybrid engineering. GM Powertrain's current Michigan operations include transmission engineering and testing in Ypsilanti, diesel engine engineering and testing in Romulus, hybrid propulsion systems engineering and testing in Troy, engine testing in Warren and component testing in Wixom. GM Powertrain vehicle integration and emissions testing remains at GM's Milford Proving Ground.

GM expects this move to make its operations more efficient and competitive. "It is partnerships like these that keep GM continuing to invest in the state of Michigan, Oakland County and the city of Pontiac. The consolidated powertrain engineering operations will allow GM to provide flexible engineering development tools to bring new, robust powertrain technologies to market at an ever-increasing speed," said Ed Koerner, vice president of engineering for GM Powertrain. Construction is expected to be complete by late 2007.

Koerner was joined at the ground breaking ceremony by Director David Hollister of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and city of Pontiac Mayor Willie Payne.

The state granted GM a Brownfield Redevelopment Single Business Tax credit and a state air permit for the $385 million investment. The city of Pontiac granted GM tax abatements allowed under Michigan state law for the investment.

"This investment is wonderful for Pontiac's long-term economic prosperity. GM has always been a great corporate citizen and we look forward to seeing the benefits as a result of this investment," said Mayor Payne.

(July 22, 2004)