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General Motors Corp. might be bankrupt, but it’s considering a $46 million investment in its Allen County assembly plant to expand the line of trucks built there.
When Allen County Council meets Thursday, it will consider a request that county property taxes on $27 million of its possible investment be suspended for 10 years.
GM officials will pitch the project shortly after the council opens its meeting at 8:30 a.m. Public comment will be permitted.
Local GM officials want to expand the plant’s capabilities so it can make heavy-duty, extended-cab Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. Light-duty versions of the trucks already are made there.
If it becomes reality, the project would mean the plant’s 2,600 workers will retain jobs and a second shift will keep operating, GM spokeswoman Alicia Kocher said Monday.
Allen County shouldn’t start counting the investment just yet, however.
"This is not a done deal," Kocher said.
Rather, the Allen County plant is developing a "business case" for the project. Corporate officials will evaluate it along with competing proposals from other plants. Kocher declined to say what other plants might be making a bid to make heavy-duty trucks.
The heavy-duty trucks were made at GM’s plant in Oshawa, Ontario, which closed last month. They’re also made at the Pontiac, Mich. assembly plant, which is slated to close in October.
GM also makes heavy-duty Silverados and Sierras at its Flint, Mich., assembly plant, and it is said to be bidding for more work.
One line at the Flint plant is devoted to building medium-duty trucks such as the Chevrolet Kodiak and the GMC TopKick. But the company has judged the trucks to be unsuccessful and production on the line, which employs 360, is scheduled to end July 31.
Kocher said she doesn’t know when GM will decide whether or where it will make the heavy-duty trucks.
Orval Plumlee is president of United Auto Workers Local 2209, which represents about 2,500 production workers at the Allen County assembly plant. He’s optimistic that the County Council will approve the tax abatements and GM will move forward with the project.
"I think it looks real good for Fort Wayne and it would ensure future long-term viability for us," Plumlee said.
Allen County Council will allow the public to comment on the proposed abatement. To see the announcement for yourself, check out The Scoop.
