New Lansing Grand River (LGR) Assembly Plant

Photo: GM

Wagoner said GM's global scale enables the company to leverage its knowledge and best practices from around the world. "We are acting as 'one company,' using our skills, capabilities and resources from around the globe to do the best job we can for local customers in every market we serve," Wagoner said. "The experience gained and the lessons learned from these projects will help make Lansing Grand River a truly world-class facility."

In bringing together global best practices, GM is focusing on the areas of people systems, quality, customer responsiveness and cost, with safety an overriding priority. Many of the processes were developed and proven at GM's world-class efficient plant in Eisenach, Germany. They have been taken to the next level in the company's newest greenfield plants in Poland, Argentina, China, Brazil and Thailand.

Wagoner said the UAW, along with state and local governments, worked with GM to make the new plant a reality. "For the UAW and GM, Lansing Grand River provides a great opportunity to work together at world-class levels," Wagoner said.

"In the final analysis, it has been the willingness by all parties to work together that has made this day possible," Wagoner said. "GM is building this plant to be a model for its competitive manufacturing strategies in the U.S. - and for partnership among business, labor and the public sector."

(Jan. 31, 2000)