General Motors Building On Supplier Relationships Through Building Homes

General Motors, along with several of its suppliers, has announced they will provide more financial contributions and side-by-side volunteer efforts to the Habitat for Humanity Detroit as part of the automaker’s newly formed Supplying Communities Together initiative.

The announcement was made by GM’s vice president for Global Purchasing and Supply Chain and GM Foundation board member Grace Lieblein in Detroit yesterday. The initiative will help troubled neighborhoods in Detroit while simultaneously improving GM’s historically patchy relationships with suppliers.

“It’s about building lasting relationships that matter – the ones that help you better communicate, problem-solve, share ideas and work together as a team,” Lieblein said.

“Supplier relationships are a priority for our team,” she added. “We clearly realize that our suppliers are essential to GM’s efforts to provide customers with the best products and overall experience in the industry.”

GM and the GM Foundation will front $948,500 and 2,500 employee work hours to Habitat for Humanity Detroit through the initiative. The employees, which will be from both GM and its participating suppliers, will work together with charities as they strengthen their relationships and attempt to “enhance everyday life in the communities where they live and work,” GM says.

“This is another joint effort that will engage our employees for a great cause,” said Lear Corp CEO Matt Simoncini of the partnership. “We have been business partners with General Motors as well as partners in community projects and charitable causes for a long time.”

The announcement marks the second consecutive year that the GM Foundation has provided Habitat for Humanity Detroit with cash grants, bringing its total amount pledged to over $3 million. So far, GM has donated about $1.6 million to Habitat for Humanity in 2014, supporting efforts to build at least 10-new-home developments and 15 neighborhood revitalization projects across the United States.

“Supplier relationships are a priority for our team,” said Lieblein. “We clearly realize that our suppliers are essential to GM’s efforts to provide customers with the best products and overall experience in the industry.”