GM to invest $20M more in Bay City Powertrain

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

GM to invest $20M more in Bay City Powertrain

Detroit News staff

Bay City -- General Motors announced a $20 million investment in its Bay City Powertrain operations to produce camshafts for the next generation Ecotec engine, bringing new investment at the plant to $62.5 million this year.

"This specific investment results in 15 jobs at the plant, but the cumulative employment impact of these three investments is 113 people," GM Manufacturing Manager Gerald Johnson said in a statement distributed this afternoon.

The Ecotec is GM's highest volume, most-advanced four-cylinder engine program and powers popular products such as the Chevrolet Malibu and Equinox, the Buick LaCrosse and new Regal, and the GMC Terrain.

GM Ecotec engines incorporate technology such as direct injection, variable valve timing and turbocharging. Direct fuel injection has been a hallmark of many Ecotec engines since 2007.

"The men and women of UAW Local 362 focus on quality each and every day, and our customers see that focus when they start up their GM vehicle," said UAW Local 362 shop chairperson Todd McDaniel.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100818/AUTO01/8180410/1148/auto01/GM-to-invest-$20M-more-in-Bay-City-Powertrain#ixzz0wzO7vlFC

[Brougham-Holiday]

This is good news for the region, good news for employees and should show at least local taxpayers that the investment in GM was worth it.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

GM adds camshaft job at Bay City plant

BY CHRISSIE THOMPSON

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

General Motors will make camshafts for its next-generation Ecotec four-cylinder engine at its plant in Bay City, adding 15 jobs and investing $20 million.

The camshafts are new business for the factory, which makes powertrain components. GM will assemble the next-generation Ecotec, expected in 2012, at its plant in Tonawanda, N.Y.

The camshafts make the third Bay City investment GM has announced this year. GM has already said it would call back more than 95 workers at Bay City to make Ecotec connecting rods and components for the next-generation V-8 engines. In total, GM has said it would restore or create about 9,700 factory jobs in the U.S. and Canada since it emerged from bankruptcy in July 2009.

The new hires in Bay City will come from the pool of about 3,500 laid-off UAW members, with new applicants sought if all those people are back to work.

The Ecotec family of four-cylinder engines powers vehicles ranging from the subcompact Chevrolet Aveo to the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain small crossovers.

Read more: GM adds camshaft job at Bay City plant | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20100818/BUSINESS0101/100818038/1210/BUSINESS01/GM-adds-camshaft-job-at-Bay-City-plant#ixzz0wzYp0iDP

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

GM to Invest $20 Million More at Michigan Powertrain Facility

By Ward’s Staff

WardsAuto.com, Aug 18, 2010 2:58 PM

General Motors Co. will sink an additional $20 million into its Bay City, MI, powertrain plant to support production of the auto maker’s next-generation lineup of fuel-efficient Ecotec 4-cyl. engines.

Bay City will produce camshafts for the new engines, which GM will build at its Tonawanda, NY, engine plant. To prepare for the new engines, GM will invest $425 million at Tonawanda for a capacity of 370,000 engines.

The investment in Bay City will create 15 new jobs at the 92-year-old plant.

It is the third investment announcement this year for Bay City, resulting in a total outlay of $62.5 million. The operation also will build connecting rods for the new Ecotecs, as well as connecting rods, camshafts and piston pins for new V-8 program.

Bay City also makes connecting rods and camshafts for GM’s “Family 0” group of engines, which includes the 1.4L 4-cyl. appearing in the new Chevy Volt and Cruze.

The plant produces about 20.2 million engine parts annually.

GM has not provided a timetable for production of the new Ecotec engines, nor has the auto maker released technical details. It says the motors will build upon its current-generation Ecotec architecture featuring gasoline-direct-injection, variable-valve timing and turbocharging technologies.

Bay City plant gets more work for next-generation Ecotec direct-injection 4-cyl. engines.

A 2.4L version of the engine, which currently powers the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain Cross/utility vehicles, Buick LaCrosse premium sedan and Buick Regal sports sedan, earned a Ward’s 10 Best Engines nod this year.

GM has said it intends to roll more 4-cyl. engines out across its lineup, replacing less-efficient V-6 motors. For example, the new Regal arriving at dealers now does not offer an engine option larger than 4-cyl.

The strategy reflects an industry downsizing trend ahead of strict new corporate average fuel economy standards of 35.5 mpg (6.6 L/100 km) by 2016.

According to Ward’s data, the penetration of 4-cyl. engines in the U.S. among ’09 model vehicles increased to 61.9% of cars, from prior-year’s 51.7% , while it rose to a record light-truck share of 14.8%. Penetration of V-6 and V-8 engines continued a 5-year decline.

link:

http://wardsauto.com/home/gm_bay_city_100818/