General Motors plans to invest $75 million to ramp up capacity at its Toledo transmission plant to build 10-speed automatic transmissions, the automaker said Thursday.
The 10-speed transmissions are used in GM’s full-size trucks, including the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.
“Sales of the Silverado and Sierra have been very strong, and we have a need to build inventory,” said Dan Flores, a GM spokesman.
Work at the plant will start immediately, GM said. The automaker also invested in the Toledo plant in September, spending $39 million to upgrade production of eight-speed rear-wheel-drive transmissions. The automaker says it has invested more than $3.3 billion in Ohio since 2009.
“Through this investment, we continue to take steps to strengthen our current core business and build on our significant manufacturing presence in Ohio,” Phil Kienle, vice president of North America manufacturing and labor relations, said in a statement. “We appreciate the GM Toledo team’s commitment to build world-class products for our customers and this investment recognizes their efforts.”
About 1,700 people work at Toledo Transmission Operations, according to GM. The automaker employs more than 3,800 in Ohio.
