GM Increases Staff to Meet Heavy Duty Truck Demand
When one thinks of the still fresh-in-the-mind recession, one may think of the collapse of financial firms. Others will think of credit card debt. And still others will think of the bankruptcy of General Motors. Shutting down entire facilities and closing the doors on entire brands, it was a move that shook the automotive world to its very foundation. But, while your credit card debt may be unchanged and your faith in the world’s financial firms may still be shaky, it would appear that General Motors has done a pretty good job of picking itself back up. Impressively trouncing the sales figures posted by some of its largest rivals, the General has released even more good news for the denizens of Flint, Michigan, where the success of the brand’s heavy duty Sierra and Silverado will pay very real dividends in the way of a new third shift at the plant that makes the award-winning pickups. Generating 750 new jobs, the new shift is expected to start in the third quarter with employees starting to arrive at Flint Assembly in the second quarter.
"Adding a third shift is a response to customer demand for heavy-duty pickups, which most people use to tow, haul and plow," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. "Equally importantly, it brings jobs and a needed economic boost to the Flint area." Flint Assembly currently employs nearly 2,100 hourly and salaried employees and operates two production shifts. In 2010 the plant produced 115,000 trucks, the majority of them regular and crew-cab versions of the heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra. Last year, the plant added production of regular and crew-cab version of the light-duty Silverado.
"I'm very proud of the Flint Assembly team and what we have accomplished in the past year to launch the light- and heavy-duty pickups," said Flint Assembly Plant Manager Amy Farmer. "The support of the UAW, its members and leaders was instrumental in making the heavy-duty truck the critical favorite when compared to trucks offered by our competitors."
