General Motors will invest nearly $2 billion in its Spring Hill manufacturing plant, in Maury County, to build fully electric vehicles, including the all-new, luxury Cadillac LYRIQ.
This, according to a press release that Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) officials posted on their website Tuesday.
Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles told The Tennessee Star Tuesday that Maury County competed against another location — which he did not specify — for this $2 billion. He said the Spring Hill GM facility currently has 3,100 employees.
“It really puts Tennessee on the map as being one of the key locations for EV technology for North America. That is the real significance. A $2 billion investment. It’s the largest corporate expansion in Tennessee’s history,” Ogles said.
“And we’ll be getting four vehicles over the next four years. We’ll continue to make engines at this facility, so we’ll be supplying combustion engines but also be on the cutting edge of EV production.”
GM will make the Spring Hill plant the company’s third electric vehicle manufacturing site and the first outside Michigan. GM’s Spring Hill paint and body shops will undergo major expansions. General assembly will receive comprehensive upgrades, which include new machines, conveyors, controls and tooling, according to the TNECD’s press release.
Renovation and construction will begin immediately. In addition to the new, fully electric Cadillac LYRIQ, workers at the Spring Hill plant will continue to build traditionally-powered Cadillac products, including the XT6 and XT5, the press release went on to say.
Ogles said a factory of this size will bring suppliers and third-party vendors to locate near the factory and employ more people.
“I think the impact that this has is there are a lot of communities around the country who are competing for these type factories. It is the next generation technology. The combustion engine over the next 10 to 15 years will be phased out by all of the auto manufacturers, so this is a transformative technology. We are on the cutting edge of that with this $2 billion announcement by General Motors,” Ogles said.
“I think what you will see is we are already a hotbed of growth. Maury County is Number One in the state for manufacturing job growth. We are top five for population growth. I think this has the potential to attract more suppliers and spinoff industries, which continues our legacy in Middle Tennessee as being the largest jobs creator for our region in our state.”
According to the Center for Automotive Research, GM’s employment in Tennessee produces a 6.8 employment multiplier—which means there are 5.8 other jobs in the Tennessee economy for every direct GM hourly and salaried job in the state, according to TNECD’s press release.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Spring Hill GM Plant” by GM.
Bring on the strikes and lockouts!!!
This is SUCH an incredible opportunity for the community I live in and Tennessee as a whole. Good paying UNION jobs that will benefit many of the families ravaged by Trump’s ineptitude during the Covid 19 fiasco. Electric vehicles are the wave of the future. Free energy for transportation and ZERO additional global warming issues. The US can lead the way in protecting our planet. Proud day today!!