The GM Bowling Green facility, otherwise known as Bowling Green Assembly, is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It is the exclusive plant that produces the Chevrolet Corvette.
- Year opened:Â 1981
- Facility size: 1Â million square feet on 212Â acres
- Location:
600 Corvette Drive
Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101
United States - Employee information:
- Hourly:Â 839
- Salaried:Â 165
- Total: 1,004
- Third party service providers: 11
- Shifts: one 8-hour shift, Monday-Friday
- Union local: UAW Local 2164
Products
The Bowling Green Assembly plant has been exclusively producing the Chevrolet Corvette since 1981. Currently, the plant produces the following vehicles:
- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe and Convertible
- Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Coupe and Convertible
- Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Coupe and Convertible
- GM LT4 6.2L V8 engine for Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V
Between June 2003 and April 2009, the plant also produced the Cadillac XLR, which was based on the Chevrolet Corvette C6.
Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray is built at the Bowling Green plant (2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible with Jet Black Suede Package pictured)
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is built at the Bowling Green plant (2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Coupe pictured)
Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is built at the Bowling Green plant (2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Coupe pictured)
The Cadillac XLR (right) and XLR-V (left) were produced at the Bowling Green plant between June 2003 and April 2009
History
The Chevrolet Corvette wasn’t always built at the Bowling Green plant.
In 1953, General Motors presented the Corvette as a “dream car” in New York’s Motorama show at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Shortly after, the first 300 units were built by hand in Flint, Michigan. The following year, production moved to St. Louis and in 1981, Corvette production transferred to Bowling Green. The building was initially built as a Chrysler air conditioning factory.
- Bowling Green plant produces 1 millionth Corvette on July 2, 1992
- Bowling Green plant completely revamped to produce fifth-generation Corvette at the conclusion of 1996 production year
- Bowling Green plant produces 1.5 millionth Corvette on May 28, 2009
- Corvette celebrates 50th anniversary in June 2003, marked with a special 50th anniversary Corvette package
- 30th anniversary of Bowling Green Assembly celebrated in June 2011
- Production of the Cadillac XLR, which was based on the Corvette C5, began in June 2003 and ceased on April 30, 2009
- Production of all-new Corvette C7 Stingray began in the 3rd quarter of 2013
- Exclusive Engine Build Experience became available to Corvette Z06 customers in March 2015. The program allows aficionados to assemble the supercharged, 650-horsepower 6.2L V-8 LT4 engine for their cars. The $5,000 package includes:
- A full day with a Performance Build Center engine assembly technician who instructs and oversees the build
- Personalized engine plaque identifying the owner/builder and the date of the engine build
- Professional photography of the experience
Investments
- 2005: $5,000,000 for Andon/global error proofing
- 2005: $12,000,000 for ELPO paint system
- April 2005: $19,000,000 for C6 model change
- April 2005: $3,000,000 for paint sludge system/air balance
- July 2007: $4,500,000 for conveyor addition/rearrangement
- June 2016: GM invests $290 Million in Bowling Green Assembly
- December 2015: $44 million for a capacity increase in the Performance Build Center, adding 36 new jobs
- 2013-2014: $3.5 million for new Performance Build Center (PBC), relocated from Michigan to Bowling Green, adding 30 new jobs; the Corvette Z06 LT4 engine is currently built in this area
- 2012-2013: $131 million for Corvette C7 changeover, adding about 250 jobs
- 2012/2013: $52 million for brand new Body Shop to build aluminum frame in-house for the first time
- May 2015: $439 million for facility upgrades, including new 450,000 square-foot state of the art paint shop, which is almost half the size of the entire current production facility. Construction of the new paint shop began in the summer of 2015 and took two years tow complete. Corvette production schedules were not by the construction.
- August 2016: Bowling Green Assembly unveils 850kW solar array
- June 2016: $290 million to upgrade and modify the plant’s vehicle assembly operations with new technologies and processes
Milestones, Accomplishments &Â Awards
The Bowling Green plant as well as the Chevrolet Corvette that it produces have received various awards.
Chevrolet Corvette C7 Awards
- Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award –Â 2016
- Top Gear Muscle Car of the Year – 2015 Corvette Z06
- Ward’s 10 Best Engines – 2015
- Kelley Blue Book Best Buy (Performance Car) – 2015
- Car and Driver 10 Best – 2015
- Car and Driver Editor’s Choice Sports Cars – 2015
- Consumer Guide Best Buy Premium Sporty/Performance – 2015
- Edmunds Most Popular Midrange Sport Car – 2015
- North American Car of the Year – 2014
- Edmunds Best New Year’s Resolution Cars – 2014
- Edmunds Most Exciting Cars – 2014
- Edmunds Best Cars for Long Road Trips – 2014
- Edmunds Top Rated Coupes – 2014
- Ward’s 10 Best Interiors – 2014
- Automobile Magazine Automobile of the Year – 2014
- Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value – 2014
- Yahoo! Car of the Year – 2014
- Popular Mechanics Top 10 of the Year (performance) – 2014
- Road & Track Performance Car of the Year – 2013
- Autoweek 2014 Best of the Best – 2013
- Motor Press Guild 2013 Innovation Vehicle of the Year – 2013
- Forbes Hottest New Car of the Year – 2013
- Popular Science Best of What’s New – 2013
- Esquire Automotive Event of the Year – 2013
- Men’s Health Car of the Year – 2013
- Intellichoice & AutoPacific Motorist Choice Awards – 2013
- Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Best New Sports/Performance Car – 2013
- Autoweek Best in Show at NAIASÂ – 2014 Corvette Stingray – 2013
- 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray the most awarded car in the industry in 2013
- Corvette ranked Best GM model and 5th across the industry for quality by JD Power – 2009
- JD Power Best in Segment – Â 2009, 2002, 2001
Bowling Green Plant Awards
- Two awards for its 2015 United Way campaign:
- Highest Giving Increase
- #2 of the top 10 givers, with a total donation of over $200,000
- September 2014: first place award in area March of Dimes Walk for Babies, raising $19,000
- September 2013: Bowling Green Assembly receives 2nd place award in area Alzheimer’s Walk, raising just over $5,500
- November 2012: Wildlife Habitat Certification, Wildlife Habitat Council (recertified November 2014)
- September 2011: John B. Holland Business of the Year award from the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
- JD Power bronze plant award for quality – 2009
- JD Power silver plant award for quality – 2002
Tours
Approximately 50,000 tourists from around the world visit the Bowling Green plant every year to see the manufacturing process of the Corvette. Information about the tours can be accessed at corvetteassembly.com.
Corvette Museum Delivery
The Bowling Green Corvette plant has partnered with the National Corvette Museum to provide Corvette enthusiasts the opportunity to watch their own Corvette being built, have a specialized tour of the facility and take special delivery of their car, as well as acquire an exclusive photo book to commemorate the manufacturing process and “birth” of their Corvette.
State Economic Impact
- Wages:Â $88,585,304
- Income Tax: $18,287,322
News
Follow this link for GM Bowling Green plant news coverage.
