Twelve years ago, General Motors Co. opened its newest assembly plant in more than a decade on 111 acres just south of downtown Lansing.
The plant was more flexible, more robotic, than any other factory in the Detroit automaker’s lineup at the time — including four others in and around the city that wouldn’t survive the decade. It was modeled after GM’s own plants overseas, which were more innovative than those in North America and not organized under the powerful auto unions of the United States and Canada.
Now, as workers there prepare to build their millionth Cadillac on Monday, the 2.5 million-square-foot Lansing Grand River plant is considered a shining example of modern auto manufacturing. Industry watchers praise its ability to build a variety of vehicles under one roof, collaborative management styles that emphasize team building over top-down direction and automated production lines that run efficiently with fewer people.
For the full article, see “Lansing Grand River plant’s milestone ‘means confidence’; Critical role Lansing connected to General Motors’ past, present, future”, Lansing State Journal, September 15, 2013