The Kansas Department of Commerce and General Motors have announced a $600-million investment by the company in the Fairfax Assembly and Stamping Plant in Kansas City, KS. The investment includes construction of a new 450,000 square-foot paint shop, installation of a new stamping press and other upgrades.
It is one of GM’s largest plant investments ever, and builds on nearly $2 billion invested in Fairfax in the last decade. Earlier in January, GM announced it would invest $1.5 billion in North American facilities in 2013. This Fairfax investment comprises a large part of that commitment.
Construction at the 3.2 million square foot plant begins later this year and is expected to take about two years to complete, increasing the footprint of the plant by about 15 percent to 3.7 million square feet. Vehicle production schedules will be unaffected by the construction, keeping the plant’s three shifts of nearly 4,000 hourly and salaried employees on the job.
“General Motors is one of the largest employers in Kansas and Kansas City, and this announcement plays an important role in continuing to grow the economy of Kansas,” said Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback. “We build great things in Kansas and GM’s commitment means we will continue to do so for years to come.”
“This major investment is a vote of confidence in the employees and leadership of this plant and will allow them to continue producing beautiful, world-class vehicles like the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse with the same quality workmanship that has defined the Fairfax complex for nearly 70 years,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson.
Since 1945, GM’s Fairfax Plant has employed several hundred thousand people and built more than 12 million GM vehicles. During World War II, it was the first industrial facility to make automobiles and jet fighters in the same building.
