GM To Invest $200 Million For Powertrain Headquarters Expansion
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By the second half of 2014, the General Motors Global Powertrain Headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan will feature a new 138,000 square-foot testing wing, and will consolidate the work currently being done in five other locations outside of Pontiac. Three of which are located outside the state of Michigan.
The project will cost GM $200 million, and is part of GM’s $1.5 billion domestic investment plan for 2013.
When everything is ready, engineering development work currently being done at leased facilities in Wixom, Michigan, Castleton, Indiana, and Torrance, California, will all move to Pontiac. In addition, GM R&D’s Propulsion Systems Research lab in Warren, Michigan will also relocate to the Pontiac campus. The relocation efforts are said to bring 400 jobs to the Pontiac campus.
The consolidation of engineering efforts will allow for bringing the latest from GM Powertrain in a faster rate and less expensively by cutting down logistics and development time.
The Castleton facility, which focuses on heavy-duty transmission, power electronics, hybrid and battery electric drive unit development will be transferred to Pontiac by mid-2014. Shortly after, the Torrance Advanced Technology Center, which works on electric motor and power electronics engineering development will find its way to Pontiac by the end of 2014. Then GM plans on moving the Wixom Advanced Engineering Lab, which focuses on electric motor engineering development and performance engineering, to Pontiac by mid-2015. Lastly, GM R&D’s Propulsion Systems Research Lab will be relocated to Pontiac during the second half of 2015. It is there where development of technologies for GM’s engines, transmissions, and hybrid systems takes place.
GM will also be moving what’s being done at its hydrogen fuel cell facility in Honeoye Falls, New York to Pontiac by mid-2013, but GM had announced this previously.
When it’s all said and done, GM will have downsized its footprint by some 640,000 square feet by shedding three leased facilities in the United States.
It’s actually Honeoye Falls, NY, not Honeoye, NY. This consolidation is a real hit to the local economy. The fuel cell research and technology that was taking place at this location was a very bright spot. Too bad to see all of these very sharp people either lose their jobs or relocate. I hope it’s worth the cost in the end.
Mike