On February 23, the world's second largest carmaker, General Motors (GM) announced that it will add a third shift at its Lordstown, Ohio complex, adding 1,200 jobs to support production of the new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact car. As previously announced, the Chevrolet Cruze program represents a $500 million investment in US manufacturing operations, which includes more than $350 million to re-tool the Lordstown facility.
Production will begin in the third quarter of the current year and will increase the Lordstown workforce from 3,300 to 4,500.
Since last July, GM has made announcements that represent about 5,515 new jobs and investment by the company of more than $1.4 billion in the United States.
"Adding a third shift to build Cruze is an investment with impact far beyond General Motors. It is an investment in the long-term value of Lordstown and the prosperity of Ohio," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. "It provides rewarding manufacturing jobs and efficient class-leading new cars for American car buyers."
The Lordstown complex covers 5 million square feet and includes 25 miles of conveyors. Last year, the facility - which includes an on-site stamping plant - purchased nearly 102,000 net tons of steel and recycled nearly 53,000 net tons of it. Renovations in preparation for the Cruze program include a new state-of-the-art body shop, with more than 800 new robotic systems.