General Motors Corp. will invest $39 million at its Toledo (OH) transmission plant and $32 million at its Defiance (OH) casting plant, with work will beginning immediately at both sites. The automaker emphasized that the two projects would retain 240 jobs.
The Toledo plant manufactures six-, eight-, and 10-speed rear-wheel drive transmissions and 9-speed front-wheel drive transmissions for multiple General Motors truck, van, and SUV series assembled at 10 GM plants. The plant has total salaried and hourly employment of 1,721, according to GM.
The new investment involves upgrades to the production process for GM’s eight-speed RWD transmission, which is installed in the Chevrolet Z06 Corvette and Camaro, as well as full-size and midsized trucks and full-size SUVs.
The Defiance Casting Operations cast aluminum and iron for multiple engine block and cylinder head products, including inline-four, V-6, and V-8 engines installed in various Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles. The plant has been the site of $337.4 million in capital investments since 2010, according to GM records.
Currently, Defiance has 580 employees, according to GM.
The $32 million to be invested at Defiance are in preparation for casting future engine components, according to the automaker. A GM spokesman declined to give further details of the Defiance investment.
“Through these investments, GM continues to strengthen its significant manufacturing presence in Ohio,” stated Phil Kienle, GM vice president of North American Manufacturing and Labor Relations. “Our Toledo and Defiance teams continue to focus on building world-class products for our customers and these actions are an investment in their futures.”