GM Powertrain Massena Plant To Produce Vortec Engine
FOR RELEASE: November 14, 2001GM Powertrain Massena Plant to Produce Aluminum Cylinder Heads for Future Vortec Engine
MASSENA, N.Y. – The General Motors Powertrain Massena plant has been selected to produce the aluminum cylinder head for the new inline 4-cylinder engine being added to GM’s Vortec lineup. The new engine will power future trucks for the North American market. Governor George E. Pataki said, “At a time when the national economy is in the midst of a serious downturn, this announcement represents a major dose of good news for the people of Massena. This deal will help bring new jobs, a $4 million private sector investment and three new manufacturing firms to Upstate New York. We applaud the decision by General Motors to make this smart investment in the Empire State, and we welcome these three manufacturers to the North Country.”
According to John Lancaster, manager of the GM Powertrain Massena Plant, the addition of this new product complements the plant’s technology and will help retain jobs in Massena. “I am very pleased that the Massena plant has been selected to produce this new product. We have taken our lost foam technology to the competitive forefront in our industry. Our success with increasing production on a very complex new product program while at the same time making continuous quality improvements laid the strong foundation necessary for the $4 million investment in our plant to accommodate the addition of this new product. Our success is a credit to our dedicated and hard-working associates and our excellent working relationship with the United Automobile Workers Local 465. We are also pleased with the support we’ve received from the state of New York.”
Fred LeBlanc, shop chairman of UAW Local 465, added, “This is good news for our plant, our people and our community. Working hard to maintain good, quality jobs in the North Country is what it’s all about in today’s global economy.” Senator Raymond A. Meier (New York 47th district) said, “The selection of GM Powertrain in Massena to produce this new product proves the company is at the forefront of automotive technology. This technology is one that creates and maintains jobs, allowing GM Powertrain to compete in today’s global marketplace.”
Charles Gargano, chairman of Empire State Development Corporation, said, “The auto industry is growing in New York. Since Governor Pataki took office, we have seen over $2 billion in new manufacturing investment Upstate by our automotive industry, which produces high-value-added components for cars, trucks and transit vehicles. We welcome this new investment at GM Massena and the fact that three world class suppliers will establish operations in the North Country.”
Brian W. Staples, chairman of the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, said, “One of the goals of this agency is to maintain jobs at existing employers. This project helps to strengthen GM operations in Massena. It also creates new jobs. We join with Governor Pataki in welcoming these three companies to St. Lawrence County.”
The addition of new business to the Massena plant brings with it the need for suppliers to be located near the plant.
Christopher Gilmore, president of Godfrey & Wing, Inc., said he is very pleased with the construction of his company’s plant in Massena – its first to be located outside of the Cleveland area. “Being located near GM Powertrain Massena will enable us to strengthen the excellent working relationship we have already established. We’ll be putting the philosophy of localized plant support to the test, and I’m confident it will prove to be successful.” Kurt Westman, president of Alfe Heat Treating, Inc., said the company's new plant in Massena will specialize in aluminum heat treating and feature state-of-the-art automated batch processing. “This equipment is designed and constructed by Alfe Systems, a sister division to Alfe Heat Treating, Inc. In addition to working closely with the Massena facility, our new plant will enable us to expand our service area into the northeastern United States.”
Chuck Chupick, president of CBS Boring & Machine Company, Inc., added, “We are pleased to announce the expansion of our Michigan-based company to now include a manufacturing facility in Massena. Our mission is to combine our innovative technology with a dedicated Massena workforce to provide world class components at an exceptional value. We at CBS Boring look forward to partnering with General Motors and the community of Massena so that we may secure our future growth together.”
GM Powertrain Massena Products
The Massena plant currently produces Ecotec 2.2-liter aluminum cylinder heads and engine blocks used in the Saturn LS, several European applications and GM’s small passenger cars – Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire and Grand Am, Oldsmobile Alero and Saturn VUE.
Vortec Engine Inline Strategy
According to Homi Patel, vice president and general manager, GM Powertrain Manufacturing, “The Vortec inline architecture was designed to allow for three different engine configurations -- part of our overall strategy of creating flexible architectures that can meet global customer needs. Its clean and elegant design provides customers outstanding smoothness, power and fuel efficiency.” The Vortec I4 engine is derived from the Vortec 4200 I6 engine, which is featured on the 2002 GMC Envoy, Chevrolet TrailBlazer and Oldsmobile Bravada. The inline family of engines will be manufactured at GM Powertrain’s assembly plants in Tonawanda, N.Y., and Flint, Mich.
The Vortec inline engine family shares approximately 75 percent common parts. The I4 engine provides many of the same outstanding features as the Vortec 4200 I6, including dual overhead camshafts and four-valves-per-cylinder technology. Additional engine features include electronic throttle control, variable valve timing and coil-on-plug ignition. Multec II fuel injectors, an advanced Powertrain Control Module (PCM), direct-mount accessories and easy-maintenance features are also part of the package.