Nemak has been chosen by General Motors Corp. to produce its new High Feature V6 aluminum engines. The metalcaster's Windsor, ON, foundry will begin manufacturing the units late this year at a rate of 450,000 annually.

Robert Smillie, v.p. of Nemak Canada, state: "The new block program will strengthen Nemak's global competitiveness and will go a long way toward offering new opportunities to this community's labor force."

The selection of the Windsor operation was aided by incentives offered by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade through the Ontario Automotive Investment Strategy.

GM will install its new engines in vehicles to be sold worldwide.

Nemak produces cast aluminum engine block and cylinder heads for automotive customers at plants in Windsor and Monterrey, Mexico. It also operates at sites in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Slovakia. The company is majority owned by Mexico's Grupo Alfa, with a smaller stake held by Ford Motor Co.

"Our company continues to be awarded new contracts due to its high competitiveness, supported by our leadership in technology, quality, cost, and customer service," said Nemak president Manuel Rivera.

"The production of this new block is particularly special because it involves a manufacturing process innovation developed by our global team of engineers for use at one of our most efficient plants," Rivera continued. "It also reflects our customer's drive to develop more efficient and powerful engines that require the replacement of iron by aluminum in these components."