MiMfg Magazine September 2019 | Page 25

September 2019 credit: General Motors LLC GM $65 Million Burton- Based Parts Processing Center Opens General Motors Co. opened its new ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts processing center in Burton in July, employing more than 800 people and pushing total GM employment in Genesee County to over 9,500. “This new facility in Burton will help us continue to deliver the industry’s best possible sales, service and ownership experience,” said Barry Engle, GM executive vice president. “Strategic investments in our core business, and the strong U.S. economy, are creating opportunities for GM and its employees all over the country, and especially here in Michigan.” Among key indicators for the new Burton facility are: • Burton’s parts will help maintain every Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicle sold in the United States • GM broke ground on the new site in June 2018 and shipped its first outbound delivery one year later • An average of 100 inbound deliveries and 55 outbound deliveries are expected each day • The facility has 84 shipping and receiving docks, up from 35 at the previous site. The 1.1 million-square-foot plant triples the size of the previous facility at the location and the increased capacity will provide more opportunity for efficiency while increasing annual output to as many as 120 million service parts. “GM has the highest owner loyalty of any manufacturer, and a big part of that equation is getting high-quality parts into the hands of trained service technicians when and where they need them,” said Tim Turvey, GM global vice president of Customer Care and Aftersales. “That’s why this particular facility is so vital. Great service keeps our customers coming back year after year.” MiMfg Magazine General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales (CCA) opened an all-new $65 million GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco parts processing center. The state- of-the-art facility will employ more than 800 hourly and salaried employees. Veteran-Friendly Employer Program Hits Milestone The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) announced that its talent and awareness effort, the Veteran-Friendly Employer (VFE) Program achieved its 300 th employer — nearly 18 months ahead of schedule. The program, begun in 2013 to become one of the most rigorous U.S. veteran-employment initiatives, had an original goal of 250 employers by the end of September 2020. “With today’s low unemployment rate and increasing demand for skilled workers, the veteran and active transitioning service member population is a quality source of talent for employers who under- stand military culture and their veteran applicants and employees,” said Randy Leffel, MVAA Strategy Analyst. VFE employers are represented across all of Michigan’s regions and employ a combined 29,000 veterans statewide. Gold, Silver or Bronze- level status is given to employers based on their recruiting, training and retention practices for veteran talent. At the highest, Gold level, employers must retain 75 percent of their veterans over a 12-month period, implement internal veteran support networks and meet other requirements. Nine employers currently have Gold-level status including MMA member companies DTE Energy and General Motors plus the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan State Police. DeWys Manufacturing Announces $6.9 Million Facility Investment When it comes to long-term investment, few companies are as loyal to a community as Marne’s DeWys Manufacturing. The company announced 2019 will feature its sixth building expansion since 1977, with the current project a three-year, 30,000-square-foot expansion representing a $6.9 million investment and 41 new jobs. “DeWys Manufacturing has always been a symbol of leadership by example,” said Chuck Hadden, MMA president & CEO. “When you talk about talent leadership, you can point to DeWys University. You can talk about being an industry advocate and see their involvement at the local and state levels. The same is true for their investment leadership in Marne.” The latest expansion will consolidate three facilities located within a five-mile radius and was sparked by funding opportunities from the Michigan Business Development Program, an incentives program that provides grants, loans and other economic assistance to qualifying businesses. “The support from the MBDP has played a significant role in validating our purpose as a company to strengthen our local economy while adding more job opportunities to the community,” said Jon DeWys, DeWys Manufacturing CEO. 6 25