“We are one of the first companies in Brazil to push environmental innovation into the manufacturing space,” said Grace Lieblein, president of GM do Brasil.  The construction of the plant is awash with the green movement and environmentally friendly technologies are being used left and right.  A large portion of the lighting structure – enough energy to power 285 Brazilian homes – will earn its power from solar panels.  That alone will annually save the plant 10 tons of C02 emissions while a solar powered water heating system will save an additional 17.6 tons.  Each year, the facility will save 22 million liters of water using reverse osmosis while a sewage treatment process using gardens, contrasting the traditional chemical system, will save 3.6 tons of C02 emissions. 

Overall, each sustainable implication should allow the plant to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  If the facility earns the accolade, it will join the exclusive club that currently holds just two members from GM: the American Lansing Delta Township assembly plant and the Chinese Headquarters in Shanghai.  “Sustainability is in the DNA of our company, and we are incorporating environmental features into our facilities from the ground up,” said Lieblein.

Source: General Motors

If a “for sale” sign gets slapped to the building’s flanks, there is a solid chance ties won’t be completely cut with the General.  The intent is to find a buyer who would continue operations with the already established workforce, supply base and customers.  They are even looking into a way for powertrain production at Strasbourg to continue so that its global six speed automatics can still find their way into GM products.  GM has enlisted an outside financial advisor to address the various bids.  If things go according to plan, the approximate 1,000 people strong workforce will continue on to pump out some of the best transmissions on the market today.

Source: General Motors

“The announcement of the bi-fuel Silverado and Sierra has been well-received among customers, which sends a clear message that businesses are looking for alternative fuel options to meet their needs,” said Ed Peper, general manager, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations.  The Bi-Fuel trucks differ very little from their standard counterparts.  Motivation comes from the famed 6.0 liter Vortec V8 engine and can spin either the rear or all four wheels.  After the pickups are built at GM’s Fort Wayne assembly plant, they are sent off to the Tier One supplier so the fuel tank and delivery system can be installed.  Not only do the Bi-Fuel HDs meet all EPA and CARB emissions standards, they have the potential of saving thousands of dollars in operation costs. 

“CNG has maintained a significantly lower retail price than either gasoline or diesel. The current average price of CNG is equivalent to $1.89 per gallon of gasoline.  Customers could save $5,000 to $10,000 over a three-year period, depending on their driving habits,” said  Joyce Mattman, director, GM Commercial Product and Specialty Vehicles.

Source: General Motors

So far, approximately 50,001 Lambda SUVs are being recalled.  All affected GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles are 2011 and 2012 model years.  GM will be investigating models currently registered in many of the Northern states including Alaska, New York, Wisconsin and Nebraska just to name a few.  Notification to owners is currently under way and certified dealerships will be responsible for the remedy.  To fix the issue, technicians will simply tighten the wiper arms to specification and do so at no extra cost to owners.

Source: NHTSA

The Arlington Manufacturing complex is quite large but currently, stampings for the SUVs are received from various other GM facilities, some of which are more than 1,000 miles away.  In order to lower shipping costs and boost production speed, the new plant will be made possible by a $200 million initial investment but will save GM about $40 million a year in logistics costs.  It will also help the manufacturing of the next line of global, full size SUVs become hyper local when production get rolling in 2013.  Currently, the entire complex has the ability to pump out more than 1,100 vehicles a day and there is no doubt that with the addition of the new stamping plant, that number will soon grow larger.

Source: General Motors

“Chevrolet and GMC showed strong fleet strength in the truck and van segments due to their low depreciation and insurance costs”, said David Wurster, president of Vincentric.  Leading GM’s way into the fleet top spot was once again the Chevrolet Express van.  Among the seven years that Vincentric has been conducting the awards, the all-shapes-and-sizes fullsize workhorse has earned a trophy five times.  Other vehicles from GM’s camp earned recognition for innovative features such as the eAssist electric motor found on the Buick Regal. “We also saw the strength of eAssist technology on the Buick Regal, which earned its award largely due to its low fuel costs in high-mileage lifecycle scenarios.”

Source: General Motors

“The investment in the Spring Hill engine plant is allowing us to meet the growing needs of customers for high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles,” said GM Spring Hill Complex Manager Ken Knight.  Displacing 2.5 liters, the all-new Ecotec will debut as the main powerplant for the 2013 Malibu sedan.  Spring Hill is currently producing the 2.5 alongside the already working 2.4 liter version found under the hood of the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Buick Regal and Verano.  The plant also puts together the hot-rod, turbocharged 2.0 liter Ecotec found in the high-output versions of the Regal sedans. 

Source: General Motors

GM is all too aware of this relationship and has decided to show its appreciation for its many suppliers. Beginning in 1992 GM has held the General Motors Supplier of the Year awards every year. There were 82 suppliers recognized at this years event, with Lear Corp., a supplier of electrical components and seats, taking home the Corporation of the Year award. This marks the 14 time Lear Corp. has received this distinction.

Bob Socia, vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain said that, “The Supplier of the Year award winners’ partnership, dedication and commitment to consistently perform above expectations played an important role in GM’s success in 2011,” he continued, “In 2012, we will continue to improve supplier relations to achieve a world-class supply chain focused on quality, capacity management and total cost.”

Of the 82 winners, 19 companies were first time winners, 63 have been recognized previously and three diversity suppliers were named.

For those interested, the full list of awarded companies is listed below.

The 2011 General Motors Supplier of the Year award winners are:

A Good Samaritan call is when an OnStar subscriber send in a call to help someone else who is in need of assistance. This can be vehicle collisions, flat tires or an Amber Alert response. To demonstrate just how helpful OnStar subscribers can be, GM has built a list of the top 10 cities in America for Good Samaritan calls, and the results are impressive.

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA: 3,111

2. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI: 1,969

3. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA: 1,696

4. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX: 1,651

5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,528

6. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 1,508

7. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA: 1,108

8. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,078

9. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH: 644

10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL: 482

“We received thousands Good Samaritan calls nationwide last year showing that OnStar-equipped vehicles provide an added level of safety and security for drivers, passengers and others out on the road,” said Joanne Finnorn, vice president of Subscriber Services. “In honor of these good deeds OnStar is launching a program this year to recognize subscribers who have displayed exemplary Good Samaritan efforts.”

Maybe the next time you need assistance, maybe one of these nice people will help, or even better, if you are an OnStar subscriber perhaps you can help someone else.

“This partnership brings tremendous opportunity for our two companies,” said Dan Akerson, GM chairman and CEO.  Aside from the new vehicles, the alliance will also create a global purchasing joint venture.  This will allow for both GM and Peugeot Citroën to obtain commodities, components and goods and services with a combined annual purchasing volume.  When this happens, the two brands will act as one, global entity when it comes to buying parts from suppliers, thus lowering operating costs. 

Source: General Motors