Delta Township Plant Opening Special Section

Sunday, November 12, 2006
INSIDE
Heres what they have to say about working at GMs newest assembly plant.
Workers voices
Lansing Delta Township assembly plant is designed to keep pace with changing auto industry.
Flexibility counts
ONLINE
Interactive map
Take a tour of Lansing Delta Township and compare it with Lansing Grand River at www.lsj.com
2 Sunday, November 12, 2006 Lansing State Journal
Crossing over to the future
www.lsj.com
Lifeblood of Lansing worth celebrating
e at the Lansing State Journal are pleased to bring you this special look General Motors Corp.s Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. Despite changes in the auto industry, GM remains an integral part of Lansing. There are thousands of workers and thousands more family members, friends and co-workers with GM ties. Carmaking is as embedded in Lansing as state government and Michigan State University. Its part of who we are. Im one of those people with GM in the blood a family member, if you will. My father worked at the Lansing Car Assembly plant for 35 years, mainly as a quality inspector. He checked out the cars that came down the line Cutlasses, Delta 88s and Pontiac Grand Ams. Im on my second Lansing-made Grand Am. My wife drives a Pontiac Grand Prix. Before that, she drove a Grand Am. My mother owns one of the last 500 Aleros to roll off the Lansing Car Assembly line. I had faithfully kept track of Lansings auto history, from the Lansing Grand River plant opening to the end of the Oldsmobile era to the closing of Lansing Car Assembly. The Delta plant was a ray of hope, a sign that GM wasnt going to abandon the town on which a major chunk of its history was built and where my family has its roots. Now, Lansing Delta Township is up and running, getting ready to roll out the rst vehicles headed to dealer lots. Thousands of people are back to work. A host of suppliers are springing up or expanding. Talk about a dose of good news. The section you see here is the culmination of months of teamwork between the advertising, editorial, online, graphics and photo departments of the Lansing State Journal. Barbara Wieland, our auto writer, spent months working with GM, talking with workers and crafting stories that reect the signicance of a billion-dollar investment in the community and the thousands of jobs it will provide. Our photo staff also spent many hours following the plants development and construction through pictures and online photo galleries. In addition to what you see or have seen in print, the staff has put together an impressive collection of photos online that chronicle the evolution of the plant. You can nd them on our Web site at www.lsj.com. While youre there, take a look at our interactive 3-D illustration of the Delta plant, put together by graphics artist Jesse Woodruff and online operations manager Ryan Williams. You can see how a vehicle progresses through this state-of-art facility and nd information on various steps in the process by simply scrolling over the illustration. Enjoy the section and join us in celebrating Lansings newest era of automaking.

I KEEP GM MINDSET KEY TO NEW PLANT
w Team of leaders from government,
Lansing Delta Township assembly plant
business and communities led by then-Lansing mayor David Hollister helped convince GM to invest in the regions future. First came the Lansing Grand River plant in 2001 and now the Lansing Delta Township plant in 2006. Page 4
at the plant. Suppliers that want to be close for just-in-time delivery are bringing additional jobs to midMichigan. Heres a look at some of them. Pages 14
I PLANT RISES FROM THE FIELDS
I ECONOMIC IMPACT GOES BEYOND PLANT

plant will be a boost to midMichigan and the state, as well as the carmaker. Page 14
w General Motors newest assembly
I THOUSANDS OF GM WORKERS EMBRACE I UAW FOCUSES ON HOPE PLANT BRINGS JOBS, JOBS, JOBS w There have been some trying times
for General Motors workers in recent years the closing of Lansing Car Assembly and the closing of the Craft Centre. But with the Delta plant online, many of those workers are back on the job and happy to be there. They tell their stories about tradition, opportunity and hope. Pages 6,8
w The United Auto Workers played an
integral part in the launch of Lansing Delta Township. While getting its members back to work was critical, the UAW also is focusing on jobs for the future. Page 16
I NEW BUILDING, NEW TECHNOLOGIES

w When General Motors invested
I GM HAS A LONG HISTORY IN LANSING
w General Motors has been a part of
the Lansing areas history for nearly a century. But carmaking has been around even longer. Page 19
w Check out photos of the construction process, as steel beams take form in the
more than $1 billion in the Lansing Delta Township plant, it wanted to ensure the facility could change with the industry. The exibility of the line means GM can more quickly adjust what it produces. Page 11
open land in Delta Township. Page 19
I RESTAURANTS HAPPY TO FEED GM WORKERS
Advertiser index
Auto Body Credit Union ................9 Andrews Chevrolet...................... 11 Bill Snethkamp Saab ................... 11 Bud Kouts Chevrolet .....................7 Crippen .......................................... 18 Delta Dental ....................................2 Enviro-Duct.....................................4 Glen Buege Buick......................... 16 General Motors ........................... 24 HSS LLC.......................................... 14 Jim Winter Buick ......................... 22 Landon Co. (Capitol Crossings) 15 Lansing Community College ..... 15 Local 333 Pipetters ................... 15 M&M Distributors..........................4 Mayberry Homes........................ 22 Michigan Economic Development Corp .................. 20 Saturn of Okemos and Saturn of Grand Ledge ............. 10 Shaheen Chevrolet........................5 Sundance Chevrolet......................3 Team One Chevrolet................... 23 Loretta Spinrad/ CB Hubbell Real Estate ............ 11 Red Carpet G.K............................. 11 Sheraton Hotel ...............................4 Stockwell Autumn Park .............. 14 Valerie Kunkel/ReMax Real Estate Professionals ...............................4 Wendys...........................................4
w The new GM assembly plant
I ITS NOT A CAR; ITS NOT A TRUCK; ITS A CROSSOVER
means hungry workers and the operators of eateries such as Dons Windmill, Tony Ms and Wendys couldnt be happier. Page 23
w Lansing Delta Township will build
three different crossover vehicles. Learn what they are and some of their features. Page 11
I GM, UAW WORK TOGETHER TO TRAIN

w Training the work force at the
I WHERE THERES A PLANT, THERE ARE SUPPLIERS
w General Motors investment in
Lansing means more than just jobs
Lansing Delta Township plant was a cooperative effort between General Motors and the United Auto Workers union. It also meant a lot of training hours for employees going to work in the new state-of-the-art facility. Page 23
Business editor Kevin Polzin has worked at the LSJ since September 2005. He can be reached at 377-1056 or kpolzin@lsj.com
Lansing State Journal automotive writer Barbara Wieland grew up about ve miles from the new General Motors Corp. Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. She covered manufacturing in Sandusky, Ohio; Springdale, Ark.; and Grand Rapids before returning to her hometown in 2003 to report on the auto industry here.
Barbara Wieland
Jesse Woodruff, 25, is a graphic artist at the Lansing State Journal. A graduate of Kent State University, he holds a degree in Information Design. He began his career as design editor at The News Leader in Staunton, Va. In March he transferred to his current position at the LSJ.
Jesse Woodruff
Proud to put a healthy smile on the minds of organized labor.

Delta Dental of Michigan is proud to serve organized labor and would like to congratulate UAW/GM auto workers on the opening of their new production plant in Lansing. Delta Dental is a long-time friend of organized labor, with decades of experience providing Quality, Access, and Innovation to union members. www.deltadentalmi.com
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GM in Lansing: A testament to teamwork

the good news/bad news scenario a GM ofcial presented him in the summer of 1996. The good news: GM would bring production of the new Oldsmobile Alero to the Lansing Car Assembly. The bad news: Once production BY BARBARA WIELAND of that car ended in 2004, GMs presence in Lansing also would end. Lansing State Jour nal Amazingly, that never happened. The Alero did fade from the auto he road to a new auto factory scene and the plant that produced it is a long, winding one. closed, but a homegrown effort led It involves a commitment by Hollister Lansings mayor at from the company, support from the community and years and years the time convinced GM to stay of prep work. Theres plenty of con- and grow in Lansing. As a result, the Lansing area struction, training and testing beboasts the two newest GM assemfore the rst vehicle rolls off the bly plants in the United States. The line, into the showroom and, ultinewest Lansing Delta Township mately, into a carbuyers hands. Six years in the making, General is making crossover vehicles. The rst of them go on sale later Motors Corp.s Lansing Delta this month. Township plant is ready. It will Its hard to imagine Lansing make three vehicles under three without GM, but that is exactly nameplates the Saturn Outlook, what Hollister was forced to conGMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. template about a decade ago. These crossover vehicles look No GM would mean the loss of like SUVs but Lansing State Journal le photo are built on car 13,000 jobs. And if Hollister wanted This is a positive chassis. They to know what a GM pullout would The earlier days: Construction workers work on the paint shop at the Lansing Delta Township plant in February 2005. The state-of-the-art paint shop is environmentally friendly and allows for paint colors to be changed with every car. are designed to look like, he could look 60 miles example of what offer better gas east to Flint, where GMs work Word then began spreading about force tumbled from 80,000 in the mileage and we can do together handling than late 1970s to about 25,000 in the a second plant in Delta Township. First, the Lansing Regional mid-1990s. traditional to keep Stamping plant rose from the SUVs. Ready to check out Delta Township farmland. It started For the Lanmanufacturing in sing churning out metal parts for LanIt wasnt a bluff on GMs part, area, sing Grand River in early 2003. said David Cole, chairman of the hough, the Michigan and here in t About a year later, community, Ann Arbor-based Center for Autoplant means union and GM ofcials gathered to motive Research. the United States. more than a mark the start of construction at GM was checking out of Lannew breed of Gov. Jennifer Granholm the Lansing Delta Township site. sing, he said. vehicle. It at the groundbreaking for GM Im here to put a punctuation But Hollister wasnt about to means jobs Lansing Delta Township mark, an exclamation point, on what almost 3,000 of throw in the towel. Community we are witnessing today, Gov. Jenniboosters on the Quick Response them to start. fer Granholm said on March 9, 2004, It means people Team and Blue Ribbon Committee shortly before turning over one of with paychecks that they can spend began looking for ways to get GM the rst shovels of dirt at the site. to reconsider. Local GM and United at restaurants and stores, on cars This is a positive example of Auto Workers union leaders quickly and houses and other things that what we can do together to keep got behind the effort. keep our economy vibrant. Lansing State Journal le photo manufacturing in Michigan and Cole credits Hollister with doing And it means Lansings history of Ha pp y d a ys : D el t a T o w n s hip S u pe rv i s o r J oe D r ole tt (lef t ), t hen-Lansing Mayor David here in the United States, she said. much of the heavy lifting in the making cars continues a history Hollister and then-Gov. John Engler, at the stamping plant groundbreaking in 2000. The ensuing months saw massive keep GM effort. that dates back to 1897, Ransom E. construction crews converging on He didnt grandstand. He pulled Olds and the Oldsmobile name. the site as the skeleton of the aseveryone together and really set the Lansing the younger, less-experi- lister said. We are creating a new chapter sembly plant rose from the ground. enced workers was capable of in Lansing history at (Lansing Delta standard for how this sort of thing Laying the groundwork Construction ended in May 2006. pulling off a vehicle launch. should be done, Cole said. Township), plant manager Randy The rst test vehicles started comAs a result, a situation that had It also reinforced Lansings image Thayer said. Many organizations ing off the line this summer. as a town where hourly and salaried looked hopeless became a point of dont like to talk about their history, An Alero lift GM spokesman Jim Hopson, who civic pride. GM decided to stay in workers can work together. When it was time to launch the but in Lansing, our history is shapHollister said the groups working Lansing, building two new assembly was working here when ground was Alero at Lansing Car Assembly, ing the future. Our past perforbroken on the Lansing Regional then-plant manager Jim Zubkus be- to keep GM tried to make it easy for plants in the ensuing seven years. mance was a key factor in GM deStamping plant in 2000, said the Construction of Lansing Grand the automaker to stay in town. ciding to put this plant in Lansing. gan production of the vehicle on River began in 1999. Vehicles under plant is a testament to what can Every single problem (GM) second shift. Good news, bad news the Cadillac nameplate started roll- happen when industry, government In doing so, he was showing GM brought to us, they had a single and communities work together. ing off the line in 2002. place to go to get answers, HolDavid Hollister will never forget brass that even the second shift in
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WE, THE WORKERS
www.lsj.com
People behind cars share stories of success, tradition, hope for the future
ROD SANFORD/Lansing State Journal
Historic moment: The Lansing Delta Township work force gathers for a souvenir photo of the rst Saturn Outlook test vehicle to roll off the line. The new plant will employ 2,900 when it is up to full speed.
Justin Carrizales
w Team member, chassis w Age: 32 w Lansing w GM : 11 years
Even when he was a boy, Justin Carrizales wanted to work for GM. After all, thats Carrizales where his dad worked. So, when he landed a job at GMs plant on Verlinden Avenue, he was understandably happy. That plants been closed, but Carrizales is still enthusiastic. Hes now working at GMs newest assembly plant in Delta Township. A consummate car guy, Carizzales said good things are in store because of the Lansing Delta Township plant. So far, hes had a chance to test drive a Saturn Outlook, one of the three vehicles that will be produced at the plant. I think this (vehicle) is exceptionally good, and I know that after Ive driven one, Carrizales said. Its not that hes easy to impress. I went in not expecting anything, just totally open to it, Carrizales said. Like I said, cars are my passion. In the past 11 years Ive owned 60 different cars. I grew up around this stuff and I know what it should feel like and what it should be. And with that Saturn, and Im sure the others (made at Lansing Delta Township) are the same, its exceptional.
Enter Deanna Hofmann, who runs the cafeteria at the Lansing Delta Township plant. As a Canteen Services employee, Hofmann has seen most GM cafeterias. When she designed this one, she wanted it to be something special for the 1,500 people a day she serves. This is one of the most upscale cafeterias that we have at General Motors in Michigan, Hofmann said. We have healthy food, were working together with the medical department in healthying up these people so they make wiser choices when they sit down to eat.
David Barrett
w Age: 45 w Eaton Rapids w GM : 25 years
w Team leader, body shop
w Team leader w Age: 46 w Morrice
Spencer Baley
w GM : 26 years
David Barrett wants you to know the new assembly plant isnt only bringing jobs and new cars to the area. Its Barrett helping mid-Michigan in other ways. For example, empty pop bottles and cans are collected. Four times a year, the funds are donated to a local charity. Recently, the Eaton Community Hospice was the beneciary. The 26,000 bottles and cans collected were enough to buy the organization a $2,600 lighted outdoor sign, a project that was meaningful to Barrett. There hasnt been one person that I havent been able to go up to and ask for help for something, or ask for their ideas and input, and get that, Barrett said. It makes it enjoyable to come to work when youve got everybody wanting to work together.
ROD SANFORD/Lansing State Journal
Visit from the governor: Workers listen as Gov. Jennifer Granholm speaks at the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. The plant is a source of pride in the Greater Lansing community, restoring thousands of jobs and adding new ones through suppliers.
Its an oft-heard saying around the Lansing Delta Township plant: Safety is our overriding priority. Perhaps no one believes that message as much as George Nelson, whose job it is to ensure the plants Nelson employees go home as healthy as they came to work. Nelson said the new plant is a dream for the safety-conscious. Where the old plant had roof leaks, for example, this roof is sound. But getting nearly 3,000 people used to the safety procedures at a new building takes work. We want you to come home exactly the same way you came in, Nelson said. I feel like were making a difference. things are run. We basically run our area and management is just there for support, and that is wonderful. Wonderful. Ill be honest, (he was) one of the drawing points, Duffy said. His leadership skills and management abilities can draw people together. And thats important at a car assembly plant, where a manager has to juggle thousands of workers, complex manufacturing processes and relations between the union and management. (Thayer) has the ability to get people to work together rather than butt heads, Duffy said. He does that better than others.
Dana Converse
w Team leader, door line w Age: 42 w Charlotte w GM : 13 years
If someday you buy a vehicle made at General Motors Corp.s Lansing Delta Township plant and marvel at how quiet Baley it rides, youll have Spencer Baley to thank. Baley installs acoustical foam, a material that deadens road noise and increases the strength of the car. He also helped design the plants three vehicles at the Warren Technical Center. My job when I was down there was to work on the ease of the build, Baley said. Baley has had the chance to drive a Saturn Outlook around town. Its a nice ride nice and quiet thanks to the foam, he said.
w Age: 47
w Production shift leader
Larry James
Deanna Hofmann
w Age: 31 w Holt w Executive chef w Employee of Canteen
For Larry James, playing hard for the home team is a way of life. James Now, Lansing Delta Township is his home. Before that, he worked for two years at a joint GM-Toyota plant in Fremont, Calif., and spent nearly eight years at the Janesville, Wis., assembly plant before that. Even though hes been here less than two years, James already identies with GMs mid-Michigan work force. The culture of this place is positive, he said. Im feeling optimistic, but we still have work to do. We havent taken it into the end zone yet. Were not going to settle for a eld goal. We need a touchdown.
w GM : 11 years
w East Lansing
Tequila Kelley
w Age: 48 w Lansing w GM : 25 years
w Team leader, material handling
At the new assembly plant, each group of workers was asked to come up with a Converse team motto. Dana Converse says hers with pride: Door line rocks! Thats our motto, she said. Its not just good cheerleading. The phrase conveys the enthusiasm Converse and her coworkers feel about the job they do. I personally have always taken pride in doing the best job I can do, she said.
Sue Maus
w Age: 46 w Haslett w GM : 23 years
w Facility manager for stamping and body shops
Services Its been said that an army marches on its stomach, but maybe the same thing is true of autoworkers who need nourishing food to get them through the day.
George Nelson
Hofmann
w Age: 48 w Lansing w GM : 28 years
w Safety for body shop and paint
LSJ.COM
Tequila Kelley feels more responsibility on the job at the new Delta Township assembly plant compared Kelley with her old job at the GM body shop on Verlinden Avenue. And thats a good thing. These days, if hourly workers have suggestions about how the plant could run better, management listens. The biggest difference is how management and the hourly work hand in hand, she said. We have so much input in how things are set up, how
Sean Duffy
w Age: 40 w DeWitt w GM : 22 years
w Manufacturing engineering manager
Sean Duffy is new to Lansing, but hes already worked with at least one person at the plant. When Duffy worked at the Duffy GM plant in Doraville, Ga., his plant manager was Randy Thayer the same person who now runs the new assembly plant in Delta Township.
As a facility manager for the stamping and body shops, Sue Maus doesnt directly work on the production of automobiles. Maus Instead, she tends to the assembly plant itself, seeing to maintenance and repairs, and keeps a close watch on the area outside the plant. Things such as landscaping and snow removal are also her concerns. But its her responsibility for a patch of wilderness that might make her unique among GM facility managers. The Delta Township plant grounds include 75 acres of forest and wetlands. We want to protect our environment, Maus said. We have a Frog and Toad Committee. We have a Small Animals Group. Weve got a really nice nature trail out here and its handicappedaccessible.
WWW
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Share your comments with story chat Check out an interactive plant map Hear what workers have to day Check out multiple photo galleries
CONGRATULATIONS !
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WE, THE WORKERS
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People behind cars share stories of success, tradition, hope for the future
board of directors gives tentative approval to construct two new assembly plants. w May 8, 2000 : Delta Township and the city of Lansing sign tax break deals aimed at bringing a new assembly plant to Delta Township. w June 20, 2000 : GM announces intent to build the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. w July 17, 2000 : Work begins on the metal stamping plant that adjoins the assembly plant. w Oct. 5, 2000 : Skilled trades workers reject a Lansing Delta Township contract. GM says it may reconsider building the plant. w Oct. 27, 2000 : Skilled trades workers accept a work agreement for Lansing Delta Township plant. w May 8, 2001: GM says it will delay the opening of the plant from 2004 to 2005. w Nov. 11, 2001: Despite rumors, GM says its committed to building a plant in Delta Township. w Nov. 12, 2001: The rst Cadillac, a CTS, is made at the brand new Lansing Grand River assembly plant. w Aug. 29, 2002 : GM gets approval to build in Delta Township from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. w Oct. 1, 2002 : GM says it will delay opening of the Delta Township plant until 2006. w Oct. 21, 2003 : GM says it will shut down a production line at Lansing Car Assembly. Workers at that factorys plant on Verlinden Avenue are told new jobs will await them at Lansing Delta Township. w Dec. 5, 2003 : United Auto Workers Local 602, which represented workers at the Verlinden Avenue plant and which will represent Lansing Delta Township workers, raties a contract with GM. w Jan. 5, 2004: Approximately 900 people are laid off as GM shuts down a production line at Lansing Car Assembly. w March 18, 2003 : Lansing Regional Stamping adjoining the Lansing Delta Township plant opens for business. w March 8, 2004: Construction begins on the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. w April 1, 2004: GM sends notice that up to 1,500 workers at Lansing Car Assembly may lose their jobs because production of the Oldsmobile Alero will end later that month. w April 29, 2004: The last Oldsmobile rolls off the assembly line at Lansing Car Assembly. w June 28, 2004: GM says it has idled 1,100 people in Lansing since the start of the year. w Sept. 23, 2004: GM increases its employment estimate at Lansing Delta Township to 2,900 from 2,500. w Jan. 10, 2005: GM nds a buyer for its engine plant in Delta Township, which was closed in 2001. The buyer, Ashley Capital, leased the building to Ryder Logistics, whose 900-plus employees put car parts in the right sequence for assembly at Delta Township. w March 1, 2005: GM says it will close Lansing Car Assembly around May 20. w March 6, 2005: Midway through construction, GM says the Lansing Delta Township plant is on time and on budget. w May 6, 2005: GM closes the Lansing Car Assembly plant, affecting 2,500 workers. Most of them look forward to new jobs at Lansing Delta Township. w Nov. 21, 2005: GM says it will end production at the Lansing Craft Centre and the Lansing Metal Center in 2006. w Jan. 8, 2006: The Buick Enclave, one of three vehicles to be made at the Delta Township plant, debuts at the Detroit auto show. GM ofcials conrm the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia also will be made at the plant. w March 17, 2006: Production ends at the Lansing Craft Centre as the last Chevrolet SSR is made. Four hundred workers are idled. w May 24, 2006: The rst Saturn Outlook test vehicle rolls off the assembly line and GM marks the end of construction at the assembly plant. w June 27: GM says 3,070 Lansing-area workers took early retirement and buyout offers. This means new people will be brought to Lansing Delta Township to take the place of trained workers who decided to retire. w July 1, 2006: UAW Local 602 President Art Luna steps down to accept a position at UAW Region 1C. Local 602 Vice President Doug Rademacher takes the presidents ofce. w July 12, 2006: GM debuts the GMC Acadia, one of LDTs vehicles w Aug. 3, 2006: GM presented with LEED Gold Certication for the environmentally friendly Lansing Delta Township plant w Nov. 28, 2006: The Buick Enclave will make its debut at the Los Angels Auto Show.
w Jan. 7, 1999: General Motors Corp.s
The history of Lansing Delta Township assembly
Lansing State Journal le photo
Stamping work: Jack Spicer (left) and Randy Prether load a right inner body side onto a shipping rack at the GM Regional Stamping Facility. The stamping plant is adjacent to the Lansing
Delta Township assembly plant and is part of GMs overall production operation that will make the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.
Eric Carlson
w 52 w Team leader, paint w GM : 27 years wDelta Township
A lot is riding on the successful opening of the Lansing Delta Township plant and the launch of its three vehicles the Saturn Carlson Outlook, the GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave. Eric Carlson, who leads a team in the paint plant, is acutely aware of this. If we dont provide a good, quality product that people are excited about, and theyre not condent about the quality, were not going to have jobs here, he said. If the units dont sell, theyre going to decrease a shift or adjust the line rate, and therell be layoffs.
her and the chance to work for her children. Not only will it benet her family, but Tubbs believes it will buttress the economy throughout mid-Michigan. This is going to keep Lansing on the map. This is an awesome, state-of-the-art plant and Im very blessed to be here, she said. Its the future of Lansing. Its the future of GM.
w Age: 40 w Lansing
w Team leader, chassis
Bergundy Atkinson
w Electrician w Age: 58 w Lansing
Troy Creed
w GM : 32 years
Troy Creed could have retired two years ago. GMs contract with the UAW allows workers to retire with Creed a pension after 30 years of service. And this year, GM sweetened the offer by giving $35,000 to those who opted to retire. But Creed wouldnt. The chance to open a new plant is too exciting for him. He played an active role in the process, traveling to and from the technical center in Warren to help design Lansing Delta Township. We started training even before the plant was built, Creed said. I got to see everything being planned. And now, its great. I love to see those cars coming off the line.
Unlike many of her coworkers, who came to Lansing Delta Township from the body plant on Verlinden Atkinson Avenue, Bergundy Atkinson used to work at Lansing Car Assemblys main assembly plant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Not only is she working at a new plant, shes represented by a new union local UAW Local 602. Atkinson said shes happy with the changes. Its been such a warm reception, she said. They care about what you think here. (The union) is looking out for me, theyre always on the oor talking with us. We need that kind of stuff. It not only makes her feel better about her job, she said, but Atkinson said shes willing to put in even more effort. My attitude is that I want to give more than 100 percent, she said.
w GM : 9.5 years
First in line: Workers watch as the rst test vehicle Saturn Outlook rolls off the line at the GM Lansing Delta Township plant May 24.
between the two companies, GM allowed Delphi workers to ow back into open GM jobs. I was happy to get back, Hartshorn said. It was like a weight coming off my shoulders. It was hard to say goodbye (to coworkers), but really, it was an easy decision to make. Delphi, he said. I was feeling hopeless. But thats changed, now that Jolins in Lansing. Going to work at a brand new plant is giving him a sense of job security that he hadnt felt in a long time. I just hope to get back into the apprentice program at some point, Jolin said.
Scott Jolin
w Age: 39 w Freeland
w Team member, Chassis
Eric Hartshorn
w Material handling w Age: 39 w Wyoming w GM and Delphi: 11 years
Connie Tubbs
w Age: 48 w Team member, Trim 2 w Grand Ledge w GM : 10 years
Ask what the new assembly plant means to her, and Connie Tubbs has a simple answer: Tubbs Its the future. In the new factory, Tubbs sees job security for
Coming to Lansing Delta Township was like a homecoming for Eric Hartshorn Hartshorn. He had worked for GM until the automaker spun off its parts division, Delphi Corp., in 1999. Morale at Delphis Wyoming plant steadily declined as Delphi led for bankruptcy and new executives began demanding more wage and benets concessions. Of course he took the chance to come back to GM, Hartshorn said. Under an agreement
The last few years havent been easy for Jolin, who used to work for GM but Jolin became a Delphi employee when the parts supplier was split off from GM in 1999. First, Delphi led for bankruptcy. Then, it asked workers to accept massive cuts in wages and benets. Its natural that Jolin jumped at the chance to leave that behind for Lansing Delta Township, but coming to Lansing wasnt without sacrice. Jolin, who was three years into a four-year electrician apprenticeship program, had to give up the apprenticeship to come here. I waited a long time to get into the skilled trades program, but there was no other option at
w GM and Delphi: 9 years
w Age: 25
w Group leader, chassis
Brent Yoder
w Lansing
Brent Yoders old plant was on the chopping block. Yoder Yoder worked at GMs plant in Doraville, Ga., near Atlanta. But GM said last year that it intends to close that factory. Knowing that hed need a new place to call home, Yoder started looking for opportunities in other plants. He chose Lansing Delta Township. Yoder was immediately taken by the newness and cleanliness of the Delta Township plant. In Doraville, money was a lot tighter. They didnt want to invest in the plant, he said. Here, everything is state-of-the-art. We can focus less on maintenance and more on people and quality. Barbara Wieland
w GM : 4 years
Plant manager known for leadership

Forget the long workdays that start at 5:15 a.m., the pressure of bringing a $1.5 billion assembly plant on line and the knowledge that nearly 3,000 people are relying on you to get everything done right and on time. Randy Thayer has got to be feeling pretty good he is opening a plant thats keeping thousands of jobs in his hometown. A General Motors Corp. employee since 1973, Thayer was named manager at the Lansing Delta Township plant in July 2003, more than half a year before construction began. This is a huge project, Thayer said earlier this year. Its the biggest job Ive ever had. And Thayers had some big ones. Hes also led GMs assembly plant in Doraville, Ga., and the Lansing Metal Center in Lansing Township. His reputation from those jobs led some people to move to Lansing. He was one of the drawing points, said Sean Duffy, who used to work under Thayers leadership in Doraville. Duffy recently moved to Lansing to take a job at the new plant. His leadership skills and management ability can draw people together, Duffy said of Thayer. Though hes now described as a gifted leader and motivator of people by those around him, working with people wasnt Thayers rst plan. Thayer, who graduated from the General Motors Institute in Flint, originally wanted to be an engineer. He was sent to work at GM plants every six weeks. That brought him back to Lansing, where he worked in the Oldsmobile plant. But Thayer soon realized he preferred working with people to working with machines. Thats why he moved from mechanical engineering to manufacturing. While I love cars, I really love working with people, Thayer said. That love reaches beyond the factory, said Bob Sherer, executive director of the Capital Area Manufacturing Council. Thayer Lansing State Journal le photo participates on the council and has given Sherer and many others in the communi- Motivated: Randy Thayer, manager of GMs Lansing Delta ty tours of the new Delta assembly plant. Township plant, has a reputation as a leader and motivator.
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Its a brand new Outlook!

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Lansing State Journal Sunday, November 12, 2006 11
Tell us, whats a crossover anyway?

BY BARBARA WIELAND Lansing State Jour nal
Deltas Big Three

Saturn Outlook
option
High-tech environment: GM team leader Fred Galloway uses a hydraulic lift to put rails into the robotic rail assembly area at the Lansing Delta Township plant.
Flexibility rules at new plant

Adaptable line, adjustable work stations benet bottom line and workers
BY BARBARA WIELAND
Lansing State Jour nal
The Lansing Delta Township plant often is touted as the most technologically advanced in the General Motors system. But what does that mean? It means GM saves time and money by using the most modern production processes and best equipment. Saving time, money It means Lansing Delta Township has a The difference between the old and new design that emphasizes safety and exibility. And it means workers can build vehicles way of operating a plant helps GM bring new products to market faster. And in a world of in a more comfortable and safer setting. shifting consumer tastes and heavy competiBuilt for change tion, that can give GM an edge on its rivals. But its not just GMs bottom line that The Delta Township plant was designed wins. Workers will benet from ergonomic with change in mind. It was set up so GM innovations that make the workday more could more easily shift gears as carbuyers comfortable and safe. demands change. For example, work stations will be One of the really important things about height-adjustable, so a 5-foot-tall person can this plant is the manufacturing exibility, work on a project without stretching and GM spokeswoman Kim Carpenter said. a 6-5 person can do the same job without The factory is making crossover SUVs stooping. now. First off the line are the Saturn OutTequila Kelley, a materials handler at the look and GMC Acadia, followed by the
Buick Enclave. But if GM decides it wants to make compact cars at the Delta Township site instead, it can easily do so. In other plants, that change would require weeks of downtime and expensive reconguration. But Lansing Delta Township, which is heavily automated, can use robots to make those changes. In traditional shops, Carpenter youd have to rebuild the body shop, Carpenter said. Here, you can just re-program.
plant, said she likes the way workers rotate through jobs. If you have a job thats tough on you, you know you might only have it for that day, and tomorrow youll be doing something different, she said. That cuts out on injuries and sick leave and makes us more efcient. Making the plant worker-friendly is extremely important, said Doug Rademacher, president of United Auto Workers Local 602, which represents hourly workers at the plant. The state of the art as far as safety is concerned is unbelievable, Rademacher said. Were recognizing safety as a driving force. Were doing a lot to reduce problems such as repetitive motion injuries. The shop oor itself was made with safety in mind. For example, lighting in the work areas is brighter than the old plant. Everything is more clean 100 percent more clean, said George Nelson, who is a safety inspector at the plant. Safety has always been a priority at GM, but its now more than ever before. Even the building structure is advanced. The building uses a lot of green architecture concepts, such as saving rain water for use in bathrooms.
0000328861
Worker friendly
When the assembly line kicks into high gear, the vehicles rolling off the line wont be cars. Or trucks. Or vans. Or sport utility vehicles. Lansing Delta Township workers will build crossover vehicles, a new breed of automobile thats fast become a big player in the marketplace. The vehicles are the Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. These crossovers look like SUVs, but theyre not. SUVs are built on truck frames; crossovers are built on car chassis. They are the fastest growing segment in the U.S. market, said Lynda Messina, product communication manager for the three Lansing Delta Township vehicles. Thats why General Motors Corp. is eager to bring more crossovers to market, and why Delta Township is being eyed as a key player in GMs recovery plan. A decade ago, there were few, if any, crossovers on the market. By 2001, crossovers accounted for 350,000 vehicle sales, and that number climbed to 805,000 last year, said auto analyst Mike Wall of research rm IRN Inc. Its the characteristics of the crossover that have made them such strong contenders. From the side, they look like a midsized SUV, Wall said. They have better fuel economy than a midsized SUV and better handling, but you cant tow as much with them. Currently, GMs offerings in the crossover category include the Chevrolet Equinox and HHR, as well as the Lansing-made Cadillac SRX. Foreign automakers have dominated the crossover market so far, with models such as the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot. GM is intent on gaining dominance in that market, Messina said. With just seven crossover vehicles on sale now, GM plans to double that number by 2010. This is an area where we expect to see a lot of growth, Messina said.
Heres a look at the three crossover vehicles that will be made at the Lansing Delta Township plant:
w Engine: 3.6-liter V-6
w Horsepower: 267 with dual exhaust w Transmis-
sion: 6-speed automatic w Starting price: $27,990 w Estimated fuel economy: 17 miles per gallon city/23.4 mpg highway (front wheel drive) w Market segment: The Outlook is geared more to young couples, middle-aged people with young children and people who need the exibility of carrying people or carrying cargo, said Lynda Messina, GM product communication manager.
GMC Acadia
w Engine: 3.6-liter V-6 w Horsepower: 267 w Transmission: 6-speed automatic
w Starting
price: $29,990 w Estimated fuel economy: 18 mpg city/26 mpg highway w Market segment: GMCs rst crossover is very much femaleoriented, GMs Messina said. Its really reaching out to female professionals and entrepreneurs.
w Engine: 3.6-liter V-6 w Horsepower: 270 w Transmission: 6-speed automatic w Market
Buick Enclave
w Price: To be announced
segment: Its got a more premium bent than the other vehicles. Its not a luxury vehicle, but it has better amenities, said automotive analyst Mike Wall of IRN Inc.
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w
Inside GMs state-of-the art facility
Graphic | Jesse Woodruff Stories | Barbara Wieland
When Troy Creed walked into Lansing State Journal GMs Lansing Delta Township plant for the rst time, he felt hed been there before. Virtually, he had at the Detroit automakers Warren Technical Center. Creed, a GM electrician, helped design the plant. The factory was drafted on a computerized three-dimensional system Size: 713,388 square feet, that allowed Creed walk through the plant in virtual reality. four oors This new way of designing the Employees: 350 facility is estimated to have saved Time car is in paint: 6.5 hours GM 5 percent to 8 percent off the The Paint Shops workers must plants $1.5 billion price tag. GM says this is the way it will meet stringent standards of perdesign all of its plants in the fusonal hygiene to avoid blemishes ture. in this clean-room environment. A lot of work went into that, Perfume, body powder and even Creed said. It let them come up with a simpler design. The mainsome deodorants are not allowed. tenance people are going to notice that theres a lot less clutter. Design in 3-D had been done before on a smaller scale, said Jim Wiemels, vice president and general manager of GM manufacturing engineering. Its never been done on this massive a scale in the automotive industry, Wiemels said. The new way of building gives The GM facility in Delta Township sits GM improveon a 1,100-acre parcel. The current plant ments in safeuses approximately 300 acres of that ty, time and parcel, including 75 acres set aside 496 for a quality, he wildlife habitat. said. For examMap Detail ple, the 96 E. Mt. Hope Hwy computerized 69 Lansing models 127 96 showed a support beam and Millet Hwy drain spout ghting for the Wildlife GM property preserve same space. In the past, New that problem facilities 96 might not have 69 Davis Hwy become apparent until conOutbound Robots attach underbody Shipping struction had components to form the veFacility started. Work hicles oor pan. Because the Billwood Hwy then would process is automated, lights have had to be are kept at a low level (about N 1/4 mile redone to the same as a lighted parking resolve the lot at night) to conserve problem. energy. Ten thousand such problems were identied and corrected before construction began. As a result, the plant was built 20 percent faster than Lansing Grand River, said Paul Lemley, senior vice president and general manager of the Alberici Group, the design-build contractors for the project.
Read to roll
Fully assembled, tested and quality approved, the vehicle is loaded onto a tractor trailer and transported to an outbound shipping facility south of the plant or trucked to a GM dealer somewhere in the nation.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Engine and drive train components are matched with the vehicles body with automated guided vehicles.
PAINT SHOP
Once the vehicle is complete, it undergoes a bevy of tests, including basic functionality, leak-testing and squeak and rattle tests on a 500-foot indoor track.
Testing
Fluids from above-ground tanks are put into the vehicles, including gas, antifreeze, power-steering uid, windshield washer uid and transmission uid.
Fluid ll
Coming together
Engines and transmissions from suppliers are mated and various components such as the alternator and power steering pump are attached.
Engine dress
Size: 820,000 square feet Employees: 1,300 Work stations: 163, plus 109 sub-assembly work stations General Assembly has the largest workforce of any single area at the Lansing Delta Township facility. Innovations in the new plant include carriers that adjust to workers height to improve the ergonmics of car assembly.
Tires and rims delivered by suppliers are assembled and put on the vehicle. Seats and doors are also delivered and installed at this point.
Final assembly
After being assigned to a customer order in the Automatic Storage and Retrieval System, the vehicle makes its way to general assembly. The rst pieces to be put in are the trim, including carpeting, interior panels, the instrument panel and more.
Trimming it up
Automated robots apply water-based color coats of paint and the nal, solvent-based clear top coat to the vehicles, which are then baked one last time for 25 minutes at 275 degrees.
Color time
The vehicles are then primed using an electro-static powder coating process that eliminates waste and harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The powder coating is set by baking the car again, this time for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Powder prime
Ofces
Before the paint goes on, the vehicle takes a bath in a phosphating solution and is resubmerged in an Ecoat solution for cleaning and corrision protection. Next, body seams are sealed to prevent water intrusion before it is baked in an oven at 340 degrees for 25 minutes.
Treatment
Visitor center Customer orders

The Automatic Storage and Retrieval System uses robotic cranes to store up to 176 vehicle bodies in a parking garage-style building. Because the bodies are easily and quickly recoverable, customer orders are assigned to bodies at this point rather than at the beginning of the chassis-building process, saving nearly 20 hours on order-processing time.
The Site
Utilities Low-emissions painting

GMs new paint facility goes to great lengths to reduce or eliminate emissions and increase the plants exibility. Here are a few of the innovations: VOCs and recovers and reuses waste By inserting two rubber-gasketed pigs, or material. slugs, into the paint line, GM will reduce solvent Water-based color paint emits few VOCs use and not be required to run batches of color. Pig dosing system (see right) reduces solvent use and allows for frequent color Pigs or slugs Paint Paint changes by recovering unused paint. Two Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers heat emissions from the ovens and painting processes to 1,400 F, destroySolvent ing odor and VOCs
Powder-priming process emits no
Pig dosing
Nixon Rd
Underbody
Here the vehicle begins to take on a recognizable form as robots assemble body sides and other compenents into the vehicles skeleton.
Framing it up
Once all exterior panels are in place, the body of the vehicle makes its way to the paint shop via an indoor overhead conveyor system.
Flying high
Size: 782,075 square feet Employees: 618 Robots: 810 Flexible robotic xtures: 485 The Body Shop uses parts from the attached stamping plant as well as parts trucked in from other GM stamping plants and suppliers to build the inner and outer shell of the vehicle. Room has been left on the north side of the building to allow for the addition of possible future models.
BODY SHOP
The green ush
In the beginning
The stamping plant turns sheets of high-quality steel into pieces for the vehicles structural and exterior components.
Closures
Before the vehicle leaves for the paint shop, workers attach doors, a hood and a liftgate.
At rst glance, the new GM Lansing Delta Township assembly plant complex looks like any other: a sprawling building surrounded by an equally large parking lot. Upon closer inspection, the plant is quite unlike other GM site. Large cisterns hold thousands of gallons of rainwater gathered from the roof. Areas of the factory Specially designed areas of the General where robots do all the work have Assembly buildings roof collect water for no lights beyond whats needed for storage tanks, or cisterns. These collection maintenance. areas are designed to keep the system working And across that large parking lot with as little as 1/4 inch of rain a week. is 75 acres of wildlife habitat, including wetlands, a wood lot and a prairie. About 800 acres surrounding the plant remain undeveloped. Its Cisterns above unsure what if anything GM the bathrooms store will do with it. the rainwater. GMs newest plant is also GMs Each of the 10 most environmentally friendly and cisterns can hold most energy-efcient plant, said 3,000 gallons. Randy Thayer, the plants manager. City water is Building green serves two purGravity takes the connected to the poses. Its easier on the environwater to a low-flow system in case the ment and saves money. commode. Urinals are cistern runs dry. For example, at the Lansing Delwater-free and use ta Township plant, 3,000-gallon chemicals to neutralize cisterns hold rainwater for use in odor. plant bathrooms. Waterless urinals have been installed. GM expects to reduce demand for city water by 4.1 million gallons a year, a drop of 45 percent. And instead of using a dark-colored bituminous roof, the roof is white to reect sunlight. By doing whats right for the environment, were using less energy, said Larry Bliss, an architect employed by GM. Thats a savings.
GREEN
BUILDING
Flexible production
The Lansing Delta Township facility is built to be exible. It has the ability to produce any unibodystyle vehicle in GMs portfolio, and the capability to build as many as three different architectures at once.
STAMPING
N
Size: 728,197 square feet Employees: 230 Supports: Lansing Grand River and Lansing Delta Township The Stamping Plant uses transfer presses to stamp out major sheet components. Its proximity to the two plants reduces transportation costs.
This means that its possible to build the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook (both of which share their underpinnings) next to each other. But its also possible to build a mid-size sedan and a small roadster (which would have signicantly different underpinnings) right after the SUVs. While this capability was purposely designed into the plant, the facility is not currently congured to run more than one architecture.
Photo by Rod Sanford/Lansing State Journal
The Products
GM will begin manufacturing for sale its entry in the competitive crossover market the Saturn Outlook and Optional head-up GMC Acadia this month at the new display is available Lansing Delta Township facility. In on the Acadia only 2008, the Buick Enclave will join the lineup. Heres a look at the vehicles and a few of the features. Front-wheel drive comes standard on all models, with available all-wheel drive option. Acadia will also be the rst front-wheel drive passenger vehicle for GMC.
Saturn Outlook
Able to seat 8 passengers, in three rows of seating with available options. The Outlooks aggressive styling follows cues from Saturns Sky roadster.
GMC Acadia
Sources: Leon Handt, LDT engineering director; Randy Thayer, LDT plant manager; Geoff Weller, LDT assistant plant manager; Kim Carpenter, GM spokeswoman; Delta Township; General Motors; GHAFARI; Alberici Group; Wikipedia
Lower stance, along with independent front and rear suspension, make both vehicles easy to drive
Buick Enclave
All three are powered by a 3.6L V-6 producing 270 horsepower and mated with a six-speed automatic transmission
Images provided by General Motors Corp.
By the numbers: the evolution of GMs Delta plant
Construction workers on site at peak of construction
1,300
Number of construcion contractor companies
250
4 million
Hours worked in construction
Miles of conveyer belt winds through the site
13.1
Robots in the plant, working mainly in the body shop
875
Total jobs, most of which are callbacks for workers laid off from Lansing Car Assembly.
3,200
Parts put into each vehicle
3,600
www.lsj.com
New assembly plant will pump billions into areas economy

BY BARBARA WIELAND
BARBARA WIELAND / Lansing State Journal
Supplying parts: Alliance Interiors workers Mike Hamilton (left) and Jeff Gibson trim inner dash panels that will go behind the instrument
panels of the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. The foam-backed inner dash panels limit road noise in the vehicles.
Doing their parts: Suppliers stay close

When the Lansing Delta Township plant starts full production, nearly 3,000 people will be on the clock. But thats just a start. Thousands more will be going to work in other places in the Lansing area because of that factory. And others have been doing their parts for months to make sure the plant has what it needs. Numerous companies have built local plants to supply Lansing Delta Township with seating, interiors and electronic components. Some rms that already existed here took on extra work. Heres a look at some of the larger local suppliers that will send components to the new plant:
w Location : 4521 W. Mount Hope w What they make: Consoles and w Location: Mount Hope Highway w Employees: 650
Bridgewater Technologies
and Canal Road, Delta Township
d a s h b o a rd s
w What they make: Seating and
Plastech/LDM Technologies
w Employees: 180
interiors
w Location: 7009 W. Mount Hope
Road, Delta Township
w What they make: Front and rear
w Location: 2901 Canal Road, w Employees: 700
Ryder Logistics
Delta Township
bumpers
Alliance Interiors
Highway, Delta Township w Employees: 80 w What they make: Interior trim
w What they do: Put parts in the
Android Industries
w Location: Corner of West Mount
w Location: 2702 Edna Drive, w Employees: N/A
Yazaki North America

Delta Township harnesses
right sequence for assembly at Lansing Delta Township
Hope Highway and Canal Road, Delta Township w Employees: 120
w What they do: Distribute wiring
BARBARA WIELAND / Lansing State Journal
Inspection: Alliance Interiors worker Fanny Catey inspects an inner dash panel. The panels limit road noise.
A new assembly plant. Nearly 3,000 jobs. Three new vehicle models. Is it possible to overstate the impact the Lansing Delta Township operations will have on the local economy? Not really. General Motors Corp.s newest assembly plant is going to be an anchor of mid-Michigans economy. Its a huge deal. It absolutely is, said David Cole, chairman of the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research. The impact of the new plant will reach far beyond the factory grounds. GMs insatiable need for automotive parts has already led parts suppliers to build their own plants, adding thousands of new jobs to the area. GM workers will be spending their paychecks in mid-Michigan, supporting jobs at retailers, restaurants and other businesses. When GM sought help from the state to get the project started, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. said the average wage in the plant would be $1,213 a week. It would also preserve nearly 3,000 GM jobs and support an additional 25,761 non-GM jobs in the outlying community. All told, the MEDC anticipated that the plant would generate $1.7 billion in state revenue over 20 years and result in $22.5 billion in wages in that time. On average, by Coles calculations, every GM job supports 6 jobs elsewhere. But in Lansing, that ratio will be even higher with the Delta Township facility. The multiplier is about 10 jobs at an assembly plant, Cole said. The effect of GM on the Lansing economy is not lost on the Lansing Delta Township line. Workers such as Connie Tubbs are mindful that their jobs are important to the whole community. I feel very blessed to be here, she said. This is the future for Lansing. The future for GM. Erich Merkle, director of forecasting for Grand Rapids-based automotive research rm IRN Inc., said the plant will boost Lansing and give the state of
General Motor Corp.s new assembly plant will have a massive impact on the local economy.
Whats it worth?
$22.5 billion
Wages paid over 20 years State revenue over 20 years Average weekly wage for GM Lansing Delta Township plant workers Lansing Delta Township jobs, including about 2,900 a the assembly plant and 220 at an adjacent stamping facility already running
Source: Michigan Economic Development Corp.
$1.7 billion $1,213 3,120
Michigan a needed shot in the arm. This plant is going to carry Lansing well into the future, he said. And secondly, its going to generate ripple effects. Many of the jobs supported by the new factory can be found at area car part supplier plants, such as Alliance Interiors and Bridgewater Interiors. There are six suppliers that are new to the region that are coming here just to serve that plant, said Ken Lane, assistant manager of Delta Township. We anticipate that more will come. Its really solidied our industrial area. Plant manager Randy Thayer said its good the surrounding communities will benet from the plant, because community leaders worked together with GM. This community is a great place to do business because the government, the unions and the business community have united on key projects that make economic development possible, Thayer said. For their parts, state and local governments kicked in millions in incentives to land the GM Lansing Delta Township plant. Among them: a $61.8 million job creation tax credit and $223 million education tax abatement over 20 years from the state; a 25-year real and personal property tax abatement from the city of Lansing valued at $165 million; and $28 million in infrastructure improvements from Lansing and Delta Township.
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Congratulations on the new Delta Township Production Plant

1533150
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1533012
UAW locals see opportunity with Delta, suppliers

BY BARBARA WIELAND
Jobs for today, jobs for tomorrow

Union presence
Local 602
General Motors Corp. hourly workers in Lansing are represented by four United Auto Workers locals:
w Members: 3,000
www.lsj.com
Jobs. Its the underlying and overwhelming theme for the United Auto Workers and those it represents at the Lansing Delta Township plant. And not just jobs for the 2,900 workers General Motors Corp. is bringing on line to initially build the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. There potentially is work down the road for generations at the assembly plant and other factories that supply its parts. This is the future for Lansing, said Connie Tubbs, 48, a UAW Local 602 member who works on the trim line. Its not only for us, its for our retirees and our children and grandchildren. That future stands in stark contrast to what could have been. A decade ago, GM was talking about leaving Lansing altogether. The new plant means, for us, an opportunity to provide for our families, said Doug Rademacher, president of Local 602. I cant imagine what its like for other communities that lost Steady jobs: GM Lansing Delta Township plant employees demonstrate how a plant and didnt have another the chassis and body of a Saturn Outlook are joined together in the assembly one come in.
Lansing Delta Township assembly plant w President: Doug Rademacher

w Members: 4,600
w Represents:
Local 652
Rademacher
Local 1618
Lansing Grand River assembly plant, Lansing Metal Center, Lansing Regional Stamping w President: Chris Tiny Sherwood
w Represents:
Sherwood
w Represents:
w Members: 583
w Represents: GM Service Parts w President: Al Vincent Source: U.S. Department of Labor, union locals
w Members: 337
Local 1723
Operation
Lansing Craft Centre (idled) w President: Dan Fairbanks
Fairbanks
area. The new assembly plant will provide 2,900 new jobs for union workers. An additional 220 workers are at an adjacent stamping facility.
members, represents the 250 hourly workers at GMs Lansing Regional Stamping facility connected to the assembly plant, as well at workers at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant near downtown Lansing. With the Delta Township plant comes more work and more job security. (The stamping) plant exists partly because of the Cadillac plant, but also to press metal for the new assembly plant, said Local 652 Chairman Art Baker. The new plant is also bringing work and more workers Lansing State Journal le photo to area auto suppliers, some of Congratulations : Former UAW Local 602 President Art Luna, now part of the which have unionized sites. The UAW is very, very thank- unions international organization, cheers plant workers before the rst Saturn ful for these jobs, Baker said. Outlook test vehicle is driven off the assembly line.
Replacement drive
That kind of outlook was one of the driving forces in efforts to bring GMs newest plant to Lansing. The UAW did its part, becoming an active participant in the talks that led to the creation of the Lansing Grand River and Lansing Delta Township plants. David Cole, chairman of Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research, said GM didnt want to ditch the highly trained and hard-working UAW membership in Lansing. There was no intent (on GMs part) to ever avoid the union in Lansing, he said. GM and the union work together particularly well in Lansing.
Local 602, with 3,000 members, had represented workers at GMs Lansing Car Assembly plant on Verlinden Avenue. That plant closed in 2005. Without the Delta Township site or another facility those workers would still be laid off. Art Luna was president of Local 602 during the transition from Lansing Car Assembly to Lansing Delta Township. He gave up his post at 602 to take a job with UAW Regional 1C earlier this year. Its been a long process spanning over 2 years to get to this point, Luna said. Now that its become a reality and product is coming out of that plant, I can truly say its been a joint effort
(between the UAW and GM). I miss it, and I miss the people there, but that plant is in good hands, he said. Members seem to be pleased with the work their union is doing at the Delta plant. Im so happy to be here, said Bergundy Atkinson, who transferred to the new plant from the Lansing Grand River plant that produces Cadillacs. The union is really looking out for you here. They care about what you think. Local 602 isnt the only UAW local happy to see the Lansing Delta Township plant open. Local 652, with about 4,600
Workers pleased
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On parade: Oldsmobiles from the 1930s drives down Michigan Avenue as part of the Oldsmobile 100th anniversary in 1997. Lansings auto industry started in the Olds family engine shop along the Grand River.
LANSINGS RICH HISTORY

Making cars since 1897
f you were living in Lansing around the turn of the last century, you had a front-row seat to the automotive revolution. Ransom E. Olds began making his cars here in 1897. He left for Detroit soon after to begin producing cars in the worlds rst specially built automotive factory. A re soon brought him back to his hometown. Businessmen in Lansing enticed him to return, granting him the state fairgrounds on the Grand River in downtown Lansing as a new manufacturing site. What began on that site grew into the Olds Motor Works. That was just the start. Over the years, General Motors Corp. added many manufacturing locations in town. The newest, the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, is now ready to start the next chapter in Lansings automaking history. Heres a look at that history.
Ousted from GM, founder Durant strikes out on his own. His new Durant Motor Co. builds a factory on Verlinden Avenue in Lansing. Meanwhile, increased demand leads to further building construction at the GM site in Lansing. A Fisher Body building is added adjacent to the assembly line. To the east of the complex, an engine plant and stamping plant are added. Oldsmobile responds to the growing wealth of the Jazz Age by introducing the posh Viking model to its lineup in 1929. Base price: $1,695. But the fate of the Viking is sealed on Oct. 29, 1929, when the stock market crashes and heralds the Great Depression.
1920s
Lansing plant start assembling nonOldsmobiles. Increasingly, workers also begin seeing their jobs replaced by robots. That doesnt reverse fortunes for GM, which steadily loses market share. Much of the competition comes from imports. By 1980, Japanese imports account for 30 percent of the U.S. market. The challenges result in large-scale layoffs in Michigan, including some at the Lansing plant. The union responds by pressing for job security clauses in their contracts. Benets such as the JOBS bank, which guarantees pay during a long-term layoff, begin to appear.
Throughout Michigan, upstart automotive companies begin to emerge. In Lansing, the automotive company is Olds Motor Works. Mass production of the Curved Dash Olds at the former state fairgrounds begins Dec. 18, 1901. In the early days, the fairs racetrack is used as a proving grounds. Olds pioneers the moving assembly line in Lansing. Cars mounted on wheeled carts a re guided Courtesy Michigan Sate University Muesum through the Hitching a ride: President factory. Henry Theodore Roosevelt (back seat, Ford later left) tours Lansing in 1907 with improves on R.E. Olds in the drivers seat. the idea. In 1908, Buick chief Billy Durant forms General Motors Corp. and goes on a buying spree. He acquires Olds Motor Works, Oakland Motor Car and Cadillac.
1900s
As the Depression takes hold, Durants company goes bankrupt. His plant on Verlinden goes idle in 1931 and remains vacant until 1935, when GM buys it. At the main assembly site, conditions have gotten cramped. Even during the dismal Depression, demand presses capacity to the limit. The body side of the assembly line is moved to Verlinden. Through the economic downturn, GM manages to keep growing. The 1 millionth Oldsmobile is made in 1935. The federal government grants unions unprecedented protections in 1935. A sit-down strike at GM plants in Flint that starts in December 1937 results in GMs recognition of the United Auto Workers. The pro-union sentiment spreads to Lansing. In 1939, GM workers in Lansing join the United Auto Workers Locals 602 and 652.
1930s
Courtesy of the RE Olds Transportation Museum
On the home front: A World War II-era poster touts Oldsmobiles contribution to the war effort. Car production in Lansing stopped during the war years.
plants and other buildings that double capacity in Lansing. The engine is immortalized in the song Rocket 88, written by Ike Turner. That song is itself revolutionary it was the rst rock n roll hit produced by Sam Phillips, who used the money to found Sun Records. The decade brings a urry of GM expansion to Lansing. The sheet metal plant on Saginaw Avenue is built in 1952 and is originally used to make jet components for the Korean War. In Delta Township, the service parts warehouse is built in 1959. movement leads to laws protecting the rights of minorities in the workplaces. Several of those changes already existed in Lansing, where GM-UAW contracts often addressed issues of racial and gender discrimination.
More Oldsmobile administration is moved from Lansing to Detroit, a move criticized by many in Lansing. In 1990, the last engine is made at the Rocket Plant, part of a trend to separate automotive parts production from auto assembly. In 1998, GM says it will spin off its Delphi automotive components division. Lansing itself fears being spun off from GM. In 1997, GM gives the city a heads up that it might close all operations here. The process of making automotive bodies at one plant and transporting them across town for nal assembly has become costly. Lansing leaders respond by forming a team to lobby GM to stay. They are ultimately successful, and GM commits to building two new assembly plants and a new stamping plant here. However, Lansing formally loses Oldsmobile headquarters to Detroit in 1998.
1990s
As public demand for automobiles grows through the decade, so does the sprawling Oldsmobile factory in Lansing. A new assembly plant is added. Car design evolves, making the revolutionary Curved Dash Olds look dated. New models, such as the Oldsmobile Limited, base price $5,000 in 1911, are luxury vehicles in comparison. GM buys Chevrolet in 1918 and a majority interest in Fisher Body Co. in 1919. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 has a big impact on workers at the Lansing plant. Limits on production in 1918 cut production 7.1 percent, to 40,502 from 43,606 units the year before.
1910s
Oldsmobiles latest advancement, the Hydra-matic automatic transmission, is introduced to an enthusiastic public in 1940. Oldsmobile production that year climbs 40.4 percent. But rosy plans for the future stall in 1942, when car factories are converted to war-time production. In Lansing, Oldsmobile workers make cannons, shells and airplane components. Morale is boosted with posters that urge workers to Keep em Firing! By October 1945, cars again are being made in Lansing. But work comes to a halt a month later when GM workers go on strike. The walkout lasts four months. In 1949, Oldsmobile comes out with its high-compression rocket engine.
1940s
2000s
1950s
Cars built in Lansing with Oldsmobiles new rocket engine quickly gain favor. Demand for the high-powered engine is so great that GM builds new assembly
At Oldsmobile plants, products such as the Toronado, introduced in 1966, and the Cutlass 442, introduced in 1969, are a hit with the muscle-car crowd. Yet another assembly plant is added to the main assembly complex in Lansing to handle Toronado production. However, GMs success also makes it a target. Consumer activist Ralph Naders 1965 book attacking the Chevrolet Corvair, Unsafe at Any Speed, results in U.S. Senate hearings and the car is discontinued in 1969. Elsewhere in the country, the civil rights
1960s
The decade starts with a 13-week companywide strike that results in the 30-and-out retirement policy GM workers still enjoy. Three years later, the Arab oil embargo shakes up the auto industry. Large, gas-guzzling cars give way to smaller, more fuel-efcient imports from Japan. Around the same time, the U.S. government drafts air-quality standards that restrict auto emissions. In Lansing, GM responds by developing a dieselpowered Oldsmobile. Plans are to build a diesel engine plant in Delta Township.
1970s
1980s
In 1984, the Oldsmobile plants are reorganized under the Buick-OldsmobileCadillac name. For the rst time, Oldsmobile decision-making is moved from Lansing to Detroit. Also for the rst time, GM workers at the
GM announces in December 2000 that it is ending the Oldsmobile line. The last Oldsmobile rolls off the line at Lansing Car Assembly in April 2004. Despite that, theres reason for hope in Lansing. The Lansing Grand River assembly plant opens in 2001, followed by the Lansing Regional Stamping plant in Delta Township in 2003. Construction on the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant starts the next year. But hand-in-hand with those new plants comes the knowledge that Lansing Car Assembly will eventually be closed. It ends production in May 2005. The savings is much needed by GM, which has released one alarming nancial warning after another. From earnings disappointments to recall notices to continued market loss, GM has a tough road ahead. But with a new factory on the west side of town starting to ship vehicles to dealers this week, GM starts its second century with a strong presence in Lansing. Barbara Wieland
.PHOTO CREDIT asdf aasdff asy
Cars over the decades: Vehicles have been made in Lansing for more than 100 years. Above are the Oldsmobile, the Cadllac and the Saturn Outlook.
Youve built more than a plant here. Youve built a future.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation congratulates General Motors on your new $1.5 billion assembly plant in Delta Township. Your continued success in Michigan helps to fuel the success of thousands of people across the state. Were proud of the future youre building here, and wherever in the world you compete, well be ready to help give youthe upper hand.
michigan.org
1533221
www.lsj.com
Years in the making, GMs new $1.5 billion plant a cause for celebration across region
DELTAS DAWNING
M et a l marker: A piece of structural steel was on display for everyone to sign at the March 2004, ceremony marking the beginning of construction at GMs Delta Township plant.
Round of applause: UAW shop committee member Russ Jennings (right), UAW Local 1618 Chairman Mike Knox and Local 1618 President Brian Fredline applaud the speakers at the March 2004 ceremony marking the start of construction on GMs Lansing Delta Township plant.
Sign of the times: Chris Laird (left) and Eric Tepper of Araneae Sign Installation Group put up the new signs at the entrance of the GM Lansing Delta Township plant in May 2006 as work on the new plant drew to a close.
ROD SANFORD / Lansing State Journal
Going up: Crews work on what would become the paint shop in this September 2004 photo. Work on General Motors Lansing
Delta Township assembly plant wrapped up in 2006 a $1.5 billion project that created 2,900 jobs.
Painting progress: Workers walk past paint oven exhaust ducts awaiting installation in the paint shop building in the GM Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in February 2005.
ROD SANFORD / Lansing State Journal
Cause for cheer: Workers applaud as the rst test vehicle Saturn Outlook is driven off the line at GMs Lansing Delta Township plant on May 24, 2006.
What will General Motors do with all of that extra land?

Even with its new plant, automaker has plenty of space
BY BARBARA WIELAND
General Motors Corp. has land in Delta Township. Lots and lots of land. Of the 1,100 acres the automaker holds, far less than half is being utilized at the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. So, what will happen to the rest? There arent any rm plans right now, but there is plenty of speculation. Maybe the Lansing Delta Township plant will expand. Maybe auto suppliers will set up shop. Whatever its fate, GM says it doesnt have anything in the works for the extra acreage. We currently dont have any plans for it, GM spokeswoman Janine Fruehan said. Its typical
for there to be a lot of open space around a new plant. It gives us exibility for the future. Thats a smart real estate move, said David Cole, chairman of the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research. Land around the assembly plant would be much cheaper before the plant exists than after it is built and running. If you go in for a greeneld (undeveloped) site, it will be somewhat more high-acreage. Land is cheap, but it becomes more expensive as the area around it becomes more built up, Cole said. Its a contingency plan, But what do you do with all that space if youre GM? So far, Cole said he hasnt heard any rumors about what might become of the open land. But he and other experts have their ideas. Cole said the land likely would be used as an expansion for the GM plant or developed into an industrial park for auto parts suppliers.
On the other hand, Erich Merkle, director of forecasting for Grand Rapids-based automotive research rm IRN Inc., has his own idea of what might go into that space. Starting in 2009, he said, GM is going to make a new series of minivans. Those minivans will be based on the Lambda platform the basic vehicle structure used by the crossovers that will be made in Delta Township the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. Minivans are currently made in Doraville, Ga., but that plant is closing. So, Merkle reasoned, GM will have to take production elsewhere. Delta Township would be a likely spot for production, he said, but the Lansing workers might lose out to GMs plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. They need a home somewhere, Merkle said of the miniLansing State Journal le photo vans. Where are they going to put them? Thats the $10 million Room to grow: GM has 1,100 acres in Delta Township, but less than half is being used for its assembly plant and question. adjacent stamping operation.
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Welcome Delta Township Plant Employees

Congratulations on your new Assembly Center
See Lansing-Based Ed Arthur and John Korrey at Jim Winter Auto Group in Jackson for the Areas Largest Selection of GM Models
Ed Arthur
Jim Winter Buick - Pontiac - GMC - Cadillac, Inc. 3303 W. Michigan Avenue Jackson, MI 49204 1-800-320-2053 www.jimwinterauto.com
0000328886
John Korrey
www.lsj.com
Restaurants ready for hungry factory workers to stop in

BY BARBARA WIELAND
Assembly plant good for business at nearby eateries
Courtesy photo
In training: GM workers participate in a simulated work environment exercise to eliminate waste and achieve quality results at a workstation.
GM, UAW team up on training effort

Workers would need to become acquainted with new machinery Minimum hours of training for a worker and new styles of working toinside the Lansing Delta Township plant gether, while skilled trades employees would have to learn the mechanicals of the new building. Minimum hours of training (22 weeks) Add to that mandatory orifor skilled trades workers BY BARBARA WIELAND entation classes and training in GMs Global Manufacturing SysLansing State Jour nal tem a method of manufacWhat does it take to get 3,000 Total hours of training for GM workers turing efciently while keeping quality a key concern and it people ready for new work in a Source: General Motors Corp. became clear that training hours new plant? training representative for Unit- were adding up. It takes 700,000 hours of At bare minimum, a worker ed Auto Workers Local 602, training in 425 classes, classinside the plant needed 105 the union local that represents rooms set up in multiple locahours of training. Skilled trades tions, a mock-up of an assembly hourly workers at the plant. workers, such as electricians, line and lots and lots of logistical GMs hourly and salaried workneeded 900 hours, or the equivers pulled together to create a thinking. alent of 22 weeks of 8-hour training plan and get all the Soon after dignitaries turned days, ve days a week. over the rst shovel of dirt at the workers ready to go. It wasnt all classroom work. Putting management and work site that would become the Partnering with Lansing ComLansing Delta Township assem- hourly people on the training bly plant, General Motors Corp. team shows rsthand as a corpo- munity College, GM created a mock assembly line, where ration that we are committed to started preparing its people to workers tried out new assembly making this succeed, said Don work at the new facility. You can imagine what a very Smith, a joint team development processes while making toysized wooden cars. coordinator and hourly worker. large and complex project it Fortunately, the completion of It sends the message that evwas, with the number of people LCCs West Campus, a location eryone is in this together, said and the amount of training, designed for hands-on technical Jaime Cox, Smiths counterpart said launch training manager Ron Lavigne. The sheer volume on the salaried side. People see training, coincided with the start of training. this as a powerful statement. of it is what we were trying to Everything seemed to fall From the start, Lavigne and coordinate. into place, said Dean Souden, Van Epps realized they had a By we, Lavigne meant he executive director of LCCs BusiHerculean task ahead of them. and Mark Van Epps, the joint
Plant workers log hundreds of hours to learn operations
105
900
700,000
ness and Community Institute. The building location and the equipment (at LCCs West Campus) was designed to support an endeavor like this. To date, the GM training project has been the largest third-party training project undertaken by LCC. But with that success, LCC is well-positioned to offer its services to other manufacturers. Its helped us as weve worked with other (automotive) suppliers, said Glenys Warner, account executive for LCCs Business and Community Institute. Other companies partnering with LCC for training include Bridgewater Interiors, Ryder Logistics and Magna Powertrain. Training for GM workers is ongoing, as people who recently transferred to the plant get ready for their new jobs. Now, a large work force is trained and ready to start production. Our entire team is excited about the start of regular production, plant manager Randy Thayer said. We have been planning for the past two years and we are ready to get back to the business of building great vehicles.
A nearby auto factory can be very good for business particularly if the business involves feeding people. Just look at those operating near General Motors Corp.s new Lansing Delta Township plant. Business started picking up at the 25-year-old restaurant and bar Tony Ms in 2004, when construction workers began raising the skeleton of the GM plant in a nearby corneld. As factory workers began reporting for duty, the restaurant welcomed another crop of customers. The result: Tony Ms is hiring and could double its waitstaff to 24 if things go well. We get guys coming in after work and (plant manager) Randy Thayer has held meetings here, said Maggie Stob, a Tony Ms manager who has worked at the restaurant for 20 years. Theres even talk of an expansion if before- and afterwork crowds pick up.
The way Randy is telling us, this is going to be huge, Stob said. Were certainly hoping so. Even less formal eateries, such as the Wendys fast-food restaurant just east of I-96 on Lansing Road, are feeding more folks, with business growing as the Delta Township plant gears up for production. Were seeing more people coming through, manager Debbie Francher said, adding that the area was already bustling with the State Secondary Complex nearby and attractions such as The Summit just down the road. Further west on Lansing Road, Dons Windmill Truck Stop and Travel Center has started to see some added business and is hoping for more. As the GM plant gears up for regular production, workers have been making test versions of the vehicles, resulting in a stop-and-go production schedule. On weeks when the plant is running, the truck stop sees more business. We get truck drivers stopping in to ask for directions, said Alexis Millison, whose family has owned the truck stop for four generations. Were hoping we get a lot more trucks, she said.
ROBERT KILLIPS / Lansing State Journal
Business boost : Armando and Brandy Parras of Holt talk with omelette chef Wesley Morgan at Dons Windmill Truck Stop and Travel Center. The truck stop expects to see more business because of the new plant.
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HOW FITTING THE WORLDS GREENEST AUTOMOTIVE PLANT IS IN LANSING, MI.

The Lansing-area GM dealers salute GM and the UAW on the opening of the Delta Township Production Plant, home of the new GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave crossovers. As the first and only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified auto plant in the world, this state-of-the-art facility has certainly embraced the color green. Perfect for Spartan country. See your General Motors Lansing-area dealers for great offers in November.
way to go green
2006 GM Corp. All rights reserved. The marks of General Motors and its divisions are registered trademarks of General Motors Corp.
0000329103

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Sunday, November 12, 2006

2 Sunday, November 12, 2006 Lansing State Journal

Crossing over to the future

Lifeblood of Lansing worth celebrating

Crossing over to the future

Lansing Delta Township assembly plant

I PLANT RISES FROM THE FIELDS

I ECONOMIC IMPACT GOES BEYOND PLANT

w General Motors newest assembly

w The United Auto Workers played an

I NEW BUILDING, NEW TECHNOLOGIES

I GM HAS A LONG HISTORY IN LANSING

w General Motors has been a part of

open land in Delta Township. Page 19

I RESTAURANTS HAPPY TO FEED GM WORKERS

w The new GM assembly plant

I ITS NOT A CAR; ITS NOT A TRUCK; ITS A CROSSOVER

w Lansing Delta Township will build

I GM, UAW WORK TOGETHER TO TRAIN

I WHERE THERES A PLANT, THERE ARE SUPPLIERS

w General Motors investment in

Lansing means more than just jobs

Proud to put a healthy smile on the minds of organized labor.

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4 Sunday, November 12, 2006 Lansing State Journal

GM in Lansing: A testament to teamwork

Crossing over to the future

Leaders in business, government unite to protect future

Congratulations General Motors Delta Township Production Plant

Real Estate Professionals-West

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Wendys Capital Centre, Dimondale Welcomes the GM Delta Plant