GM is expected to add roughly 225-250 additional full-time jobs at the Indiana factory
8 hours ago
- The carmaking giant has yet to specify just how many more pickups will be built locally.
- GM’s facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, builds the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
- Current US production is supplemented by production Canada and Mexico.
Not long after President Trump announced massive 25% tariffs on automotive imports in the United States, General Motors has responded by revealing it will increase production of light-duty trucks at its assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The car manufacturer has yet to publicize its plans, but informed employees at the Indiana site of the move on Thursday. This factory currently handles production of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, but GM also builds trucks in Mexico and Canada. Indeed, roughly half of all the conglomerate’s pickup truck production is done in Mexico and Canada.
Read: Canada Hits Back At Trump With New Tariffs On American-Made Cars
In order to boost output in Indiana, the plant will be taken offline between April 22-25 as it implements several changes. Speaking with Reuters, an unnamed source said hundreds of temporary workers will be hired.
In addition, the chairman of the local United Auto Workers union, Rich LeToruneau, added that between 225-250 additional full-time jobs will be added. GM is also adding daily and weekend overtime and ramping up the speed of the assembly line, allowing 9-10 vehicles to be produced per hour.
GM has not said how many additional trucks will be built at the Fort Wayne factory in response to Trump’s tariffs.
“General Motors will be making operational adjustments at Fort Wayne Assembly, including hiring temporary employees, to support current manufacturing and business needs,” the company said. “We continuously update and revise production schedules as part of our standard process of evaluating and aligning to manage vehicle inventory.”
Reuters reports that the Fort Wayne factory currently employs 4,149 workers across three shifts.
GM boss Mary Barra has been thinking about boosting US production for quite some time. In January, she said that then-looming tariffs from the Trump administration could prompt it to increase US output of its trucks.
