Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD — General Motors is investing more than $51 million in its Bedford Casting Operations. According to the Dec. 7 announcement, the installation of state-of-the-art equipment will support the manufacture of drive unit castings for the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV and other current casting applications.
“This commitment not only reflects confidence in the Bedford team, but is another step in GM’s transition to an all-electric future,” Rob Morris, plant director at Bedford Casting Operations, told Southern Indiana Business Report. “We are beyond excited, and with the support of this team and the leadership of UAW Local 440 and IBEW Local 16, Bedford Casting Operations will continue the great work and success that led to this investment.”
The all-electric Silverado, powered by the Ultium Platform, will debut on Jan. 5, 2022, at CES – the world’s most influential technology event.
The renovation work will begin immediately at the facility. Earlier this year, the one million square-foot site began producing electric drive unit castings for the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup and 2024 GMC HUMMER EV SUV. Production of the 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Pickup will begin this month at GM’s Factory ZERO assembly plant, located in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan.
“Our Bedford operation is one of the leading aluminum die casting facilities in the world, and this investment is a testament of our confidence in the employees at Bedford,” said Phil Kienle, GM vice president of North America manufacturing and labor relations. “This investment is another example of the company bringing along our workforce in our journey to an all-electric future while we strengthen our current products.”
GM’s Bedford plant opened in 1942 and is a leader in aluminum die casting capabilities. The site’s nearly 900 hourly and salaried workers manage semi-permanent mold and die casting processes that produce cylinder heads, cylinder blocks, transmission cases, structural components, and drive unit housings used in Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.
GM invested $7 million in the Bedford operation earlier in 2021 to increase die casting capabilities, $37 million in 2016 to support future product programs, and $127.4 million in 2015 for powertrain and structural components to support production of new aluminum engine blocks and components.