General Motors announced plans on Sept. 7 to invest $145 million in the Lake Orion, Michigan assembly plant will help retain 1,670 jobs, GM said. It will be used to add a new car to the assembly line: the Buick Verano compact luxury sedan.
The Verano will be the first small car added to the Buick lineup in 20 years.
"GM has worked closely with the United Auto Workers to create new and innovative contractual language that will allow this facility to be flexible and lean -- essential elements in the highly competitive, small car market segment," the automaker said.
Originally slated to close at the height of the 2008 economic collapse, GM announced plans in June 2009 to retain Orion and retool it to build the subcompact Chevy Aveo, which had previously been built in South Korea.
The total investment in the plant, which should begin production in mid 2011, is $600 million, GM said.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
