GM to Invest $100 Million, Add 30 Jobs in Rochester, N.Y.

Four product lines get upgrades for fuel-efficient car and truck engines

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Apr 12, 2011, 11:00 ET

ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors today announced it will invest $100 million to add 30 jobs and purchase tooling and equipment to make future automotive components at its GM Components Holdings Rochester Operations.

"This investment in our manufacturing operations will enable us to produce a new generation of fuel-efficient small block car and truck engines," said Cathy Clegg, GM vice president of Labor Relations. "The Gen V small block engine family will have unprecedented fuel efficiency, and GMCH Rochester Operations will play a key role in helping us deliver these efficient engines to our customers."

Four product lines will be enhanced: the integrated air module, a new high-pressure fuel rail, a new lifter oil manifold assembly, and a new direct injection injector. These parts will be shipped to GM Powertrain plants in Tonawanda, N.Y., St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.

"This investment stems from teamwork with New York's Empire State Development Corporation, Rochester Gas and Electric and a new agreement with the UAW," Clegg said. "Through these types of successful partnerships, we're competitively keeping this work in the United States and maintaining jobs right here in Rochester."

The 30 new jobs will be added to an existing workforce of 826 hourly and salaried employees at the GMCH Rochester Operations facility.

GMCH Rochester Operations opened in 1939 and provides components to support several GM products built in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South Korea, China, Australia and Brazil.

"The men and women of UAW Local 1097 know that producing high-quality parts is essential to meeting the needs of our customers," said UAW Vice President Joe Ashton. "They take a lot of pride in our work, and this investment is important to the future of this plant."

"To say that New York is open for business is an understatement – and this announcement just proves the point," said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. "For generations, General Motors has provided quality products and good jobs for New Yorkers, and this move builds on the company’s historic legacy in this state. As a car enthusiast, I look forward to seeing the future of automotive technology designed, engineered and built by New Yorkers."

Today's announcement brings the total investment for GM's new small block engine to nearly $1.1 billion, and creates or retains more than 2,400 jobs.

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 202,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 30 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.