General Motors has announced plans to invest $6.7 million in its Tonawanda Engine Plant in Buffalo, New York, part of which will go toward improving its production processes for the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 engine found in the automaker’s full-size trucks and SUVs.
Of the total investment, GM says $4.4 million will be capital investment, helping to keep the lights at Tonawanda and continue plant operations, while $2.3 million has been earmarked as “project expense” and will go toward improving “efficiencies in producing the 5.3L V8 engine used in full size trucks.”
”Tonawanda Engine Plant’s talented and engaged workforce continuously strives to help our plant succeed,” said plant director Ram Ramanujam. “This investment helps expand our flexibility to make multiple products to meet customer demands. This investment builds on our reputation of consistently launching and delivering high quality, award winning engines like the 6.2L Gen V DFM for the Silverado, and LT2 C8 Corvette.”
Tonawanda Engine Plant in 2018
In addition to the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8, Tonawanda Engine also builds the 4.3L and 6.2L EcoTec3 engines, along with the LT2 V8 found in the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, among more. GM invested a large $295.9 million sum into the plant in 2016 for various plant upgrades and invested over $800 million in it in 2010 to produce the next-generation family of Ecotec four-cylinder engines and Small Block V8 engines. GM says it has invested more than $2.9 billion into Tonawanda Engine over the past decade.
“GM Tonawanda Engine has a long history; our membership continues to deliver the highest quality products for our customers. We are proud of the work we do. This is a win for our team, our newly hired full-time regular employees and our communities,” said UAW 774 chairman, Jose M. Gonzalez.
GM currently employs 1,270 hourly workers and 184 salaried workers at the Tonawanda Engine Plant. The automaker recently moved more than 30 Tonawanda employees from hourly to full time status, along with over 1,000 other hourly workers at its various production facilities across the country.
“These are great, experienced employees. Their conversion to regular full-time status will help create more engaged and motivated teams in our plant, which is foundational to improving job satisfaction, health and safety, and the qengine plantuality of our products for our customers,” Ramanujam said of the employees converted to full-time status.
The Tonawanda Engine Plant, situated along the Niagara River, first opened back in 1938. Today, the plant covers roughly 3.1 million square feet of land and sits on a 190 acre property.
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Comments
Back in the day, all the hi-po small blocks and the big block engines that came out of Tonawanda had a “Number 1 Team” aluminized sticker on the valve covers. You knew you were getting advertised horsepower (and sometimes more) and long engine life.
Based on what I know about the “LS-“series engines built there these days, that hasn’t changed.
The new corvette engines get those stickers too
Why the investment in Tonawanda now? This doesn’t seem to make sense given Mary’s Triple Zero future for GM. It seems to me, she’d be making plans to phase this plant out.
I have an original box of Anchor Hocking Glasses that belonged to my father. the box is sealed never opened on it it is written
Compliments of #1 Team Chevrolet Tonawanda Engine 15,000,000 Engines 1938 30 Years 1968 it contains 6 glasses can anyone tell me what it might be worth today