Arlington

‘The future looks bright,' assembly worker says of GM's $500M investment in Arlington

Upgrades to allow the plant to build the next generation of large, full-size SUVs

NBC Universal, Inc.

General Motors Co. is solidifying its commitment to North Texas, announcing a $500 million investment in Arlington’s assembly plant.

GM has been an institution in Arlington for almost 70 years, investing $2 billion in the facility located along East Abram Street.

Its workforce of roughly 5,400 people assembles the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac Escalade.

Local and state leaders joined top executives from GM and United Auto Workers Thursday morning to announce the investment.

“We’re investing $500 million here in the Arlington facility to make sure the next generation of large, full-size SUVs are produced right here in Arlington, Texas,” announced Gerald Johnson, GM’s executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability.

The company and union credit their ‘partnership’ for the agreement.

The 4-million square foot building will be upgraded, receiving equipment and renovations to capacitate future internal combustion engine full-size SUVs.

“How cool is this?” said an excited Arlington Mayor Jim Ross during the announcement. “This is a good example of how we’re better together.”

Ross also credited longtime Arlington mayor, the late Tom Vandergriff, for helping bring GM to Arlington in 1954.

“The most visionary mayor this city has ever seen in its existence,” said Ross.

Product details and timing are not being released at this time, according to company representatives.

There are, however, portions of the investment that still require agreements with local government officials, including local higher learning institutions that would prepare the future workforce.

“Whenever we make investments we try to work with local governments to facilitate any kind of needs that may make it easier for us to train, or other incentives to help us take the investment as far as it can go,” said Johnson.

“There’s always sticking points and things we’re going to need to make sure of, but you can be it’s a done deal,” said UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith.

The plant survived the COVID-19 pandemic, a chip and ongoing supply shortage, and a contentious union contract negotiation about three years ago.

Union reps are preparing for another contract negotiation in the coming months.

Asked how today’s announcement came to be, Smith said: “It’s a partnership we have with General Motors. They go hand in hand. When General Motors is in the community, it’s a strong community but also, it’s about the workers, point blank and UAW Local 276 workers do an amazing job to build these beautiful vehicles.”

Robert Nelson has worked at the plant for over 30 years.

“I work in the tow-end pit. I do front-end alignments and I make sure your vehicle goes straight perfectly,” he said with a smile. “The future looks bright and we’re building these vehicles with pure love and they’re standing in line waiting to buy them.”

Efren Martin II has worked at the plant for 24 years.

“Every time there’s news about this Arlington facility it’s very up and down, like what’s going to happen,” he said. “Hearing this investment, it’s great for the future and especially here in Arlington for the future of our kids and our families and the community.”

For state Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) visiting the GM plant was a bit of a homecoming.

“I used to work here on the assembly line. I worked here in the summer as an intern. They had a program I worked on the weekends,” said West. “They’ve invested $2 billion in this particular plant. This plant is going nowhere. You have a marriage between the UAW and GM which is going to last in perpetuity.”

West said he is working to lure even more Fortune 500 companies to the state. Texas currently has 52.

“We want to attract more so we passed a bill this session that will allow more incentives specifically property tax abatements for companies coming in and creating jobs,” he said.

The hope is to replicate Arlington’s success.

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