The auto industry has had a rough go of it the last couple of years. But the economy seems to be taking a turn for the better and with that, good news from some of America's largest automakers. One such company, General Motors Co., recently announced a renewed investment in their Wentzville, Missouri plant. The $380-million investment will equal an additional 500,000 square feet for production of a U.S. pickup truck variant already popular overseas.

For places like Wentzville, just outside of St. Louis, this is bright news. When the economy took its first dive just a couple of years ago, GMC had to let the plant's second-shift workers go. They weren't alone, either. In the state of Missouri, two other major automakers were forced to shut down large factories that made sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickup trucks. This not only left thousands of autoworkers without jobs, but also thousands of employees of parts suppliers in the area without an income.

This year, however, the 1,400 autoworkers still employed at the Wentzville plant took a break from production on Chevy's 100^th birthday to hear the announcement. With the additional space and money, the GMC plant will add a General Motors pickup truck to its production line, and effectively over 1,200 new jobs. They'll also be able to reinstate their second-shift workers accounting for 400 of said production jobs. While it's not clear that this new truck variant will even be on sale in the United States, the news was received amidst cheers and clapping from the workers on the floor.

Rightly so, too. As Missouri governor Jay Nixon said, "Today we're here to celebrate the future of the American auto industry, and my friends, the future is bright."¹

Walser Buick GMC - Bloomington agrees. Which is why we invite you to come down to our showroom, located at 4601 American Blvd. West in Bloomington, MN 55437 to see hard-working and dependable vehicles like the GMC Savana and GMC Sierra that are built right here in the United States. Have any questions about other steps GMC is taking to ensure a bright future for autoworkers and car enthusiasts? Give us a call at (952) 314-1390 or contact us via our website, anytime.

Source:¹