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GM investing $600M in plant that produces Malibu, LaCrosse

Michael Harley — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Buick, Chevrolet, GM

General Motors, committed to investing upwards of $2 billion in plant upgrades, has just announced that it is making a $600 million investment in its Fairfax Assembly and Stamping Plant in Kansas City, KS - it is one of the largest investments GM has ever made in a single plant.

Construction is set to begin later this year, and the work will increase the footprint of the facility by 15 percent, bringing its total to to 3.7 million square feet. Production schedules will be unaffected by the work, meaning 4,000 employees will stay on the job.

Fairfax Assembly currently produces the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu. Operating three shifts, a completed vehicle rolls out the door every 58 seconds. The present facility was completed in 1987, but since it first opened in 1945 Fairfax has manufactured more than 12 million vehicles.

Continue reading GM investing $600M in plant that produces Malibu, LaCrosse

GM investing $600M in plant that produces Malibu, LaCrosse originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: GM to depart with form and run certain plants around-the-clock

Michael Harley — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

Two weeks from now, General Motors will start running its Fairfax assembly plant continuously on a permanent basis. The unprecedented around-the-clock operation, following on the heels of the temporary third shifts a few months ago, is intended to boost the plant's production from its current 4,500 vehicles per week to 6,300 units over the same period.

Operating around-the-clock is no simple feat. Experts point out that automotive assembly lines require a lot of scheduled maintenance, cleaning, and restocking - tasks that are usually accomplished during the down periods between shifts. Typically, car makers add second shifts on a temporary basis when the market demands more vehicles. Third shifts are common for part suppliers, but not for automakers (even Toyota Motor Corp., often cited as a benchmark in efficiency, rarely operates more than two shifts). To allow time for maintenance, GM and union officials have figured out how to "overspeed" parts of the assembly line so they can be slowed temporarily later. The three-shift assembly line will run about 21.6 hours per day (up from 14.5 hours with two shifts).

GM is moving cautiously. The Fairfax assembly plant is the automaker's best candidate for a permanent third shift. Located in Kansas City, it consistently ranks among the most efficient automotive factories in America. In addition, the facility is tasked with manufacturing the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Lacrosse - both vehicles are selling well, so a third shift will help satisfy demand rather than oversaturate the market. Hat tip to Sea Urchin for the tip!

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Subs. Req'd]

REPORT: GM to depart with form and run certain plants around-the-clock originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UAW strikes GM Malibu plant

John Neff — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:27:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, UAW/Unions

Local UAW contract negotiations aren't going well for General Motors, and today they took a turn for the worst as union members at the automaker's Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas walked off the job at 10AM EST. The bulk of GM's hot-selling Chevy Malibu are produced at the Fairfax plant, with a lesser number of the four-door sedan being built at the automaker's Orion plant in suburban Detroit. Last month GM sold 17,050 Malibus, a 39.5% increase in volume over April 2007. The local union in Fairfax had given GM a number of ultimatums, extending them since the first was established for April 22nd. We're not exactly sure what issue is at the heart of these contract negotiations, but The Detroit News reports that at least one bone of contention is the plant requesting seniority to snag transfer jobs, while the other issues remain undisclosed.

General Motors has been able to weather a 10-week strike by union members against American Axle, one of its main suppliers, as only production of large trucks and SUVs have been affected. Another strike at its Lansing Delta Township plant where the large Lambda CUVs are built has also only served to reduce inventories of vehicles that are seeing a slow down in sales. While the General can withstand a reduction of inventory for vehicles that currently aren't selling as well as they were before because of high gas prices and a slump in the housing market, the Malibu is gaining popularity with consumers month over month. The Fairfax and Orion plants were already producing at capacity to keep up with demand, so today's strike will assuredly hurt the automaker where it matters most: the bottom line. We'd expect GM to act quickly to end the strike, as money is being lost by the hour while Malibus aren't being built.

[Source: The Detroit News]

UAW strikes GM Malibu plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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