GM Starts 2002 With The Grand Opening Of Its All New Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant

FOR RELEASE: January 9, 2002

GM Starts 2002 With The Grand Opening Of Its All New Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant

Lansing, Mich. - The all-new General Motors Lansing Grand River (LGR) vehicle assembly plant was unveiled today at a grand opening celebration attended by GM employees, media, industry analysts, state and local officials.

LGR is a state-of-the-art facility that advances an ongoing renaissance in GM manufacturing. Bringing together the best, most competitive manufacturing processes from around the globe, the plant represents GM's commitment to improve product quality and plant productivity in the production of world-class vehicles.

Plant Manager, Bob Anderson and UAW Local 652 Chairman, Art Baker hosted the event. Participating in the event were Rick Wagoner, GM president and CEO; Gary Cowger, president of GM North America; Cal Rapson, UAW regional director, John Engler, governor of Michigan and David Hollister, mayor of Lansing.

"LGR is the latest in a long line of outstanding GM facilities all around the world-including recently built facilities in Poland, China, Argentina, Brazil and Thailand," said Wagoner. "The experience gained, and lessons learned, from each of those facilities is now concentrated right here at LGR-and it makes this plant truly state of the art."

"What makes LGR unique is not the equipment and the plant lay-out, but rather the way the machines, tools, brick and mortar all come together to support the people who are building great vehicles here," said Gary Cowger, president of GM North America. "Machines and processes don't build great cars and trucks: great people do."

LGR is GM's first all-new U.S. assembly plant since construction began on the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. in 1986. Construction for LGR began in late 1999. Production of the first product, the all-new 2003 Cadillac CTS began in the fourth quarter 2001. The plant began shipping the vehicles to Cadillac dealers on January 7, 2002.

The $559 million, 1.9-million-square-foot plant is comprised of three buildings - the Body Shop, Paint Department and General Assembly. The assembly plant and administrative buildings are located on an 82.5 acre brownfield redevelopment site that housed the former Oldsmobile Engine and Components plant - property that was home to Oldsmobile even before GM's founding in 1908.

LGR is represented by UAW Local 652 and currently employs 725 people. Once fully operational, LGR is expected to employ 1,500 people.

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