General Motors on Monday said it will spend more than $1 billion to upgrade two plants in Flint, Mich., in preparation for the next generation of its heavy-duty pickups.
GM said Flint Assembly will receive $788 million so it can build the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD. The money will go toward expanding the body shop and general assembly conveyor, as well as new tooling.
The automaker’s Flint Metal Center, which produces sheet metal stampings, will receive $233 million toward new stamping dies, press improvements and equipment.
GM did not disclose details about the next-generation trucks or say when they would go on sale.
“Today we are announcing significant investments in Flint to strengthen our industry-leading full-size pickup business by preparing two plants to build the next-generation ICE HD trucks,” Gerald Johnson, GM’s executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, said in a statement. “These investments reflect our commitment to our loyal truck customers and the efforts of the dedicated employees of Flint Assembly and Flint Metal Center.”
GM said it has committed to investing more than $30.5 billion in its manufacturing and parts distribution sites since 2013.
In January, GM said it would spend $579 million at its Flint Engine Operations to build the sixth-generation small-block V-8 engine, part of a $918 million investment announcement that also included plants in Michigan, Ohio and New York. The automaker also plans to invest more than $100 million to update its Davison Road Processing Center near Flint.
“When business is booming as it has been for the past decade — due to the hard work of UAW members — the company should continue to invest in its workforce,” UAW Vice President Mike Booth, who leads the union’s GM department, said in the statement issued by the automaker. “It is good to see that GM recognizes the hard work you, the UAW membership, contribute to the success of this company.”
GM said it sold 287,869 heavy-duty pickups in the U.S. last year, a 37 percent increase from 2021.
News of the planned investment comes with contract negotiations between the UAW and the Detroit 3 expected to formally begin this summer.
