General Motors continues to invest in their American facilities, committing to a new supplier park at the Arlington Assembly Plant in Arlington, Texas. The new supplier park will have two industrial manufacturing and warehouse buildings comprising more than 1.2 million square feet. The forthcoming park will support future vehicle production, house over 1,200 employees, and bring more than 850 new jobs to the community. GM estimates nearly 600 of the new manufacturing and professional jobs created will replace work previously done outside the United States.
Nationwide Initiatives
This most recent move by GM comes on the heels of the already 7,000 jobs and $1 billion in U.S. investments the automaker committed to earlier this year. So far, GM has committed $14 million to Cruise Automation for a new research and development facility in San Francisco, California. The investment will allow Cruise Automation to further develop a range of automated technologies while providing an additional 1,100 jobs. In March, the automaker announced a further commitment to their Michigan facilities – Romulus Powertrain Plant, Flint Assembly Plant, and Lansing Delta Township – by adding or retaining approximately 900 jobs at these locations during the next 12 months.
Like California and Michigan, Texas is now expected to see the benefits.
“General Motors has been a part of the American Dream in Arlington from the beginning,” said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams. “In fact, the opening of the assembly plant in Arlington in 1954 was one of the key ignitors of our city’s incredible population and economic growth.”
GM currently employs over 4,000 people at Arlington Assembly where the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade are manufactured.
“And now, more than 60 years later, GM continues to be a critical foundation of Arlington’s economy,” Mayor Williams explained. “I am pleased the City Council has once again successfully worked with General Motors, this time to revitalize and redevelop an area that was a deteriorating shopping center and turn it into a vibrant manufacturing site.”
New Beginnings
International Automotive Components (IAC) Group, a multi-year GM Supplier of the Year recipient, is one of the first to move in. The company intends on setting up shop in the forthcoming Arlington Automotive Logistics Center.
“We are excited to establish this new Arlington location as one of our flagship manufacturing operations among IAC’s 22 other U.S. plants,” said Steve Miller, President, and Chief Executive Officer, IAC. “IAC’s role as a supplier of vehicle interiors to GM extends back almost a century, and this impressive new center marks a great beginning to our next century in partnership with this customer.”
Effective Strategies
GM’s notion behind supplier parks is that it makes the everyday business run more effectively. With suppliers located near manufacturing facilities, transportation costs drop, communication is stronger, and more opportunities for quality control can be accessed. Currently, supplier parks for Northpoint exist at GM’s Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas, Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri, Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky, and Fort Wayne Assembly Plant in Indiana.
“Through strong supplier and community relations, we’re able to create new supplier parks to generate significant benefits to our manufacturing operations and the communities in which we operate,” said Steve Kiefer, GM Senior Vice President of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “This new supplier park will create improved logistics efficiency and coordination while also bringing significant employment opportunities to Arlingto
“This action will have an impact on our community for generations to come and further solidify the partnership between Arlington and General Motors,” added Mayor Williams.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Photos & Source: General Motors.
