GM Invests Millions, Adds Jobs at Romulus Plant

ROMULUS -- (WWJ) A new investment means a bright future for GM's Romulus Powertrain Plant.

"I knew sooner or later we'd come back, just like the Lions," said longtime worker Fidel Waters, after GM announced that it was putting $385 million into the plant, which adds or retains 320 jobs.

The facility employs 800 workers now, and until the recent GM-UAW deal, it didn't have a product scheduled after 2013. Now, it will get a brand new engine program.

"It really means that General Motors is continuing to grow," said GM manufacturing chief Gerald Johnson. "This plant was in an unallocated state past its current product line. Now it has an allocation that will carry it even beyond the 2013 time frame."

For competitive reasons, Johnson wouldn't say anything about the new engine that would be built there, or even give information about the timing of the project.

"I can't tell you when we're going to produce it. I can't tell you what size engine it's going to be. But, I can tell you it's going to be manufactured right here in Romulus."

Workers say they are just happy that the plant, on Ecorse Road, just a few miles from Metro Airport, has a guaranteed future.

"I think this is a great investment in this plant," said worker "Fritzi" Jones. "These people here are some of the hardest working people I know, and they build the best engines."

The Romulus announcement comes following similar GM announcements in Warren and Saginaw.

Johnson says the new investments are a direct result of GM's new contract with the UAW.

"It's always better to be talking about growth, talking about investment, talking about jobs going up, and not down," he said. "That's always a good day, right?"

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