Gov. Jay Nixon applauded the working men and women at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Wentzville on the announcement that GM will add a third shift at its Wentzville location, creating an estimated 750 new jobs.
“Four years ago we came together to pass historic, bipartisan legislation aimed at revitalizing the automotive industry in Missouri,” Gov. Nixon said. “Thanks to these efforts and our outstanding skilled workforce, the Show-Me State is now at the forefront of America’s automotive comeback. Today’s announcement by GM that it is expanding its workforce again by creating 750 new jobs is another victory for Missouri workers and our economy.”
In January, the Governor joined officials from General Motors at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit for the unveiling of GM’s new mid-size truck, the 2015 GMC Canyon. In its announcement, GM reported this third shift is necessary to help with the production of the all-new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups and Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans.
On his first day as Governor in 2009, Gov. Nixon established an Automotive Jobs Task Force to make recommendations on strategies to attract automotive investment in Missouri. In 2010, Gov. Nixon called the state Legislature into special session to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act, which contained new incentives specifically geared to Missouri auto manufacturers and suppliers. The Governor and members of his economic development team also traveled to Detroit on numerous occasions to meet with leadership at GM and Ford.
As a result of these efforts, Missouri's automotive manufacturing industry has rebounded. Ford and General Motors have invested a combined $1.5 billion and created thousands of jobs to produce all-new next-generation vehicles at their facilities in Claycomo and Wentzville. Missouri has also seen strong growth among automotive suppliers including Grupo Antolin, Janesville Acoustics, Yanfeng USA Automotive Trim Systems, SRG Global, Adrian Steel, Toyota Bodine and Martinrea Riverside LLC, which have all announced plans to invest and expand in the Show-Me State over the past eighteen months.