Category Archives: manufacturing

GM to Expand Three Plants in Mexico

While GM has been operating in Mexico for 78 years, the NAFTA trade agreement made it easier for automakers and other manufacturers to transfer jobs out of the U.S., which buys almost 80% of total Mexican exports of vehicles and auto parts. The U.S. continues to run a trade deficit under NAFTA since its 1994 inception, running a deficit of $169 billion with Mexico during 2012, as politician’s promises of U.S. jobs never materialized. The Obama Administration is attempting to put similar agreements, negotiated in secret, in place with Germany, Japan, and other Pacific countries. Continue reading

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Milestones – Seven Million Ford Transit Vans

The milestone was celebrated at the official opening of a new Transit assembly plant in Nanchang, China, attended by Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. The Jiangling Xiaolan facility is the result of a $300 million investment by Ford’s strategic partner Jiangling Motors Corporation, and produces JMC-branded vehicles and Ford-branded vehicles for the growing Chinese market. JMC is 31.5% owned by Ford. Continue reading

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Gerald Johnson New VP of GM North America Manufacturing

A GM lifer, Johnson’s most recent role was executive director of Global Program Quality and Launch, where he tried to improve global product launches. Continue reading

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GM to Add 200 Jobs at Lansing Grand River Plant

The plant currently builds the Cadillac ATS and the three Cadillac CTS models – sedan, coupe and wagon, as well as high-performance V-Series models of each. The next-generation Chevrolet Camaro due in 2015 will also be assembled at Lansing. Continue reading

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Milestones – Volvo Produces New Engine Family

Volvo Car Group is now manufacturing the first versions of a new, high-efficiency four-cylinder engine family after two years of preparation. The engine plant in Skövde, Sweden is making new smaller engines that are claimed to deliver higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units, while offering lower fuel consumption than the current generation of four-cylinder units. Continue reading

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Chrysler Group Increases Torque Converter Output at Toledo

Chrysler Group announced today that it would invest $19.6 million in its Toledo Machining Plant in Perrysburg, Ohio to increase capacity of the torque converter it is making for the nine-speed transmission of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Continue reading

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Honda Sets All-Time Record for Global Auto Production

Honda Motor Company today announced that global of 4,056,141 vehicles stetting an all-time high for the Japanese fiscal year ending 31 March 2013. Continue reading

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Toyota to Build Lexus ES 350 at Georgetown, Kentucky Plant

Forced by the strong Yen that is sapping profits of its most profitable line, Toyota Motor said today that for the first time a Lexus would be built in the United States. The recently revised ES 350 sedan will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Kentucky during 2015. Continue reading

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Toyota to Announce Additional Production in North America

Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda will make an announcement tomorrow morning about increasing production in North American. The world’s largest automaker is heavily klonopin online cheap dependent on the North American market for profits and the strong Japanese Yen … Continue reading

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Milestones – One-Millionth Ford Mustang Built at Flat Rock

Fifty years after Mustang’s debut, the one-millionth Flat Rock assembled pony car was built today. The potential owner of the Ruby Red 2014 convertible was unknown, as the celebration took place nine years after Mustang final assembly was moved to Flat Rock, Michigan. Continue reading

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Spark EV Electric Motor Manufacturing Starts in Baltimore

General Motors today celebrated becoming the first U.S.-based automaker to manufacture electric motors and drivetrains in the U.S. for electric vehicles for the upcoming Chevrolet Spark EV. GM moved the jobs from a plant in Mexico to its Baltimore Operations plant in White Marsh, Maryland. The Baltimore plant is also GM’s exclusive manufacturer of A1000 transmissions for heavy-duty pickup trucks. Continue reading

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GM to Build 8-Speed Auto Trans, 3-cylinder Engines in U.S.

General Motors will invest nearly $332 million in four manufacturing sites to produce more fuel-efficient engines and transmissions. The latest investments, announced today at GM plants in Flint and Bay City, MI, Toledo, OH and Bedford, IN, will support production of a new 3- and 4-cylinder Ecotec small gasoline engine, a new V6 engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and tooling for an existing 6-speed transmission. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls Explorer, Taurus, Lincoln MKS for Leaking Fuel Tanks

Ford is recalling 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and 2013 Explorer vehicles because the fuel tanks may have a “marginally sealed seam” in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tanks may not provide the expected strength during a crash. The tanks may also leak. The problem was originally discovered in Saudi Arabia. Continue reading

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Nissan Recalls NV Vans for Shift Indicator Safety Defect

Nissan is recalling all of its NV vans built from the start of production in 2010 until this past January because the transmission shift indicator, aka PRNDLin auto slang, can point to the wrong gear. The assembly problem occurred at the Canton, Mississippi plant where the Titan is also built. Continue reading

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Opel Union Members in Germany Vote Down Labor Deal

Today, IG Metall union member employees of Adam Opel AG in Bochum voted against a revised labor agreement that would have offered their location some long-term jobs while cutting others. Since Opel management at the loss making GM subsidiary previously said that no further negotiations on the proposed labor agreement will take place, the production of the Zafira Tourer and the exclusion of compulsory separations will run out by the end of 2014. Continue reading

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