General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) (Detroit, Michigan) has started site preparation for a $380 million expansion of the company's assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri.
Plans include expanding the existing 3.7 million-square-foot assembly plant, which opened in 1983, by constructing a 500,000-square-foot building with a new production line for the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. The expansion will also include improvements to the paint area and other areas to increase the overall plant capacity.
The site preparation kicked off in March. Building construction is expected to begin in June, with overall completion of the $380 million expansion expected by August 2014. Approximately 1,200 new jobs are expected to be created as a result of the expansion, adding to the existing 1,400 people that are currently employed at the plant.
Giffels LLC (Southfield, Michigan), part of the IBI Group, was selected to provide architectural and engineering services for the expansion. MC Industrial Incorporated (St. Louis, Missouri) was selected as the site contractor. A general contractor will be selected in May to provide general construction services.
General Motors is constructing site improvements in phases that will include accessory structures, new paved areas and roadways. Roadway improvements are needed for a future body shop expansion and new accessory structures.
The $380 million expansion is part of General Motors' plan announced in 2011 to invest $2 billion in assembly line upgrades and creating 4,000 jobs over the next few years. The Wentzville plant currently produces the Chevrolet Express and the GMC Savanna full-size vans.