WYOMING, Mich. – General Motors is investing $119 million in tools and equipment for the production of vehicle components in Grand Rapids.
The announcement was made Monday morning. The investment is expected to create about 300 jobs at the GM Components Holdings, LLC plant. It's an announcement that UAW Local 167 Bargain Chairman John Kuk said comes after their latest contract negotiation that pushed GM to bring these jobs to Wyoming.
"There was a question of our stability and our longevity here at the facility because of where we came from: a bankrupt company," said Kuk. "This is just one more step to get us longevity and so I can be here and retire in 25 years."
It is an uphill economic swing for the city of Wyoming and GM, but it has been an uphill battle after GM shut down and the city demolished the massive stamping plant on 36th Street back in 2009.
"There was a low point back in 2008 when GM announced that they were closing, but we've seen continued growth since 2009 in our city," said Curtis Holt, Wyoming city manager. "We now have surpassed the number of jobs that we had at that time, and we want to see more jobs."
GM rounded out their announcement Monday by donating $20,000 in grants to four local nonprofit organizations: Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank, Finish the Mission Veterans Relief Fund, Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance, and West Michigan Environmental Action Council.
"It means people who can buy houses, people who can shop at our stores, people who can make donations to nonprofit organizations," said Holt.
The Grand Rapids plant has about 500 employees on three shifts and makes components for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillacs.
More details about the investment, including when the jobs will begin and what their roles will be, are expected in later months.
The investment in the GM Components Holdings, LLC plant is part of the $5.4 billion investment in U.S. facilities that GM announced April 30, with approximately $3 billion identified to date. Today’s news of 300 future plant jobs represents nearly half of the 650 planned employee additions within GM.
