Automotive giant General Motors plans to invest more than $500 million in its Arlington Assembly plant to prepare for production of future internal combustion engine (ICE) full-size SUVs.
The company said the investment will enable it to strengthen its industry-leading full-size SUV business. GM said it’s not releasing product details and timing related to its future full-size SUVs yet.
“Today we’re announcing plans for a significant investment in Arlington to strengthen our industry-leading full-size SUV business,” Gerald Johnson, EVP of global manufacturing and sustainability at GM, said in a statement. “Preparing the plant to produce future ICE full-size SUVs reflects our commitment to our valued customers and the efforts of the dedicated Arlington Assembly employees, who have been breaking production records this year.”
Arlington-produced SUVs lead sales and quality metrics
This announcement brings GM’s U.S. manufacturing and parts distribution facility investment commitments to more than $31 billion since 2013, nearly $2 billion of that at the Arlington plant.
GM said the new investment will strengthen its U.S. manufacturing operations, which include more than 50 assembly, stamping, propulsion and component plants, and parts distribution centers nationwide.
It also highlights GM’s commitment to continue providing customers with a strong portfolio of internal combustion engine vehicles for years to come, the company said. That’s despite the company’s announced plans to invest $35 billion in electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle product development spending by 2025, exceeding GM’s gas and diesel investment.
Arlington Assembly builds GM’s entire portfolio of full-size SUVs: Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade-V. It’s a portfolio that has helped the company lead the industry in this segment for the 48th straight year in 2022.
In addition to the overall segment leadership, GM said the Cadillac Escalade led the full-size luxury SUV segment for the ninth straight year in the U.S. The Chevrolet Tahoe was the best-selling full-size SUV in 2022 and added to GM’s trophy case by ranking first in the Large SUV category in the J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study.
The GMC Yukon, the brand’s flagship nameplate, continues to see growth in the mainstream full-size SUV segment, significantly outperforming the segment average, the company said. The Yukon Denali Ultimate trim also tied for first in the J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Ranking of the top large SUVs.
Investing in employee equipment
Under this investment, Arlington Assembly will receive new tooling and equipment in its stamping, body shop, and general assembly areas, GM said.
“When business is booming as it has been for the past decade — due to the hard work of UAW members—the company should continue to invest in its workforce,” Mike Booth, UAW vice president, GM department, said in a statement.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the investment underscores GM’s importance to the state.
“For more than half a century, Arlington Assembly has played an integral role in the economic success of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex,” Abbott added in a statement. “General Motors’ over half-a-billion-dollar investment in their North Texas assembly plant will strengthen Texas’ position as a global manufacturing leader and continue creating good-paying jobs for generations of Texans.”
Arlington Assembly set a 70-year production record in March
In April, we told you about how Arlington Assembly overcame many challenges—including supply chain disruptions—to set a 70-year monthly production record in March by producing more than 34,000 vehicles.
The record was achieved with three shifts working 27 days, the company said. The final number broke the previous monthly record set in March 2022.
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The record of 34,000 vehicles was achieved with three shifts working 27 days, the company said. The final number broke the previous monthly record set in March 2022. "Our celebration of this milestone is not just about the number, it's about the people who build consistent quality into every SUV that we produce," said the plant's executive director, John Urbanic.
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