Difference between revisions of "Lansing Delta Township Assembly"

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'''Flint East''' is an [[automobile]] component production complex owned by [[Delphi Corporation]] in [[Flint, Michigan]]. The complex, parts of which are about 100 years old, is located on [[M-54 (Michigan highway)|Dort Highway]], stretching along Robert T. Longway Boulevard past Center Road. The plant has produced numerous automotive components, including [[dashboard|instrument panels]], instrument clusters, [[spark plugs]], filters, air meters, fuel pumps and other electronic parts. Flint East once employed nearly 14,000 people, but as of 2007, was down to about 1,100 hourly workers.<ref name="freep.com">{{cite web|title=Family to return to Flint East|url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070622/BUSINESS01/706220336/1014|work=[[Detroit Free Press]]|accessdate=June 22|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
'''Lansing Delta Township Assembly''' (GM LDT) is a [[General Motors]] [[automobile]] assembly factory in [[Delta charter Township, Michigan|Delta Township, Michigan]] on land that is shared by both the nearby city of [[Lansing, Michigan|Lansing]], and the township. It manufactures [[Saturn Corporation|Saturn]], [[Buick]], [[Chevrolet]] and [[GMC]] vehicles. 


Delphi's Flint Technical Center is also located on the site. In March 2007, it was announced that the company's technical centers, including Flint, would be consolidated to a single facility in [[Auburn Hills, Michigan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Engineering center at Delphi East to close, jobs moving to Auburn Hills|url=http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/03/engineering_center_at_delphi_e.html|work=[[Flint Journal]]|accessdate=April 17|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
Completed in 2006, the factory measures 3.4 million ft² in size, and employs 2,928 hourly workers, and 265 salaried workers.<ref>[http://www.gmdynamic.com/company/gmability/environment/plants/facility_db/facility_summary.php?fID=229 General Motors Facilities and the Environment], website accessed 15 July 2007</ref> Its workers are represented by [[UAW]] 602.


Hourly workers at the plant are represented by UAW Local 651.
=="Green" Factory==
Lansing Delta Township Assembly is a [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design|LEED]] gold-certified automobile plant, and the only automotive manufacturing facility in the world to receive any level of LEED certification. <ref>[http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/environment/news_issues/news/leed-cert_080406.html GM Opens First-Ever LEED-Gold Certified Automobile Manufacturing Facility], GM Press Released - August 3, 2006, accessed July 15, 2007</ref>


==History==
Environmental features of the factory include:
After losing control of Champion Ignition Company, Albert Champion founded the AC Spark Plug Company in 1908 in a [[Buick]] building in Flint, Michigan. It was purchased by [[General Motors Corporation]] in 1909 to supply the growing automobile company, and AC Spark Plug moved a few years later to a factory at Harriet Street and Industrial Avenue.


The [[Dort (automobile)|Dort Motor Car Company]] began building automobiles on the east side of the city in 1915, in a factory that would later be part of Flint East. In 1924, an economic downturn weakened the company and J. Dallas Dort's health began to fail, and the company folded and the complex was sold to AC Spark Plug in 1925.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.detnews.com/joyrides/story/index.cfm?id=84|title=Sloan Museum traces Flint's rich automotive history|work=[[The Detroit News]]|accessdate=April 17|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
* a 45% reduction in non-manufacturing water use, saving over 4 million [[gallons]] of water a year.  


AC Spark Plug continued operations in both the Harriet Street and Dort Highway facilities until 1975, when the Harriet Street plant was closed and razed. In 1987, AC took over the former Chevrolet facilities on Chevrolet Avenue in Flint, naming that complex Flint West, and the Dort Highway facility became Flint East. The following year, AC Spark Plug and Rochester Products Division merged, becoming AC Rochester. For a time, the division's headquarters remained at Flint East, but soon moved to the Great Lakes Tech Center on the old Fisher #1 site.
* a roof drain system which catches rain water and diverts to cisterns stored above the factory's restrooms, which is then used to flush toilets.


Further consolidation among GM's divisions led to the division being renamed AC Delco Systems in 1994, and in 1995, the entire Automotive Components Group became Delphi Automotive Systems.<ref>{{cite web|title=GM Corporate History|url=http://www.gm.com/company/corp_info/history/gmhis1900.html|accessdate=April 17|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
* having 25% of the plant's construction materials composed of recycled materials.


In 1998, fearing a strike over a $200 million investment that had not materialized, GM began to pull critical dies from the Flint Metal Fab plant on the other side of town, to be shipped to another plant. The [[United Auto Workers|UAW]] workers at the plant immediately went on strike to protest the move. Mostly in response to this, but also because of fears that their own work would be moved elsewhere, workers at Flint East went on strike a week later on June 11. Since Flint East was the sole source of some parts for almost the entire company, within two weeks, virtually all of General Motors was shut down. On July 28th, GM agreed to the investment to Flint Metal Fab and to keep Flint East open until at least 2000. The union agreed to cooperate on efforts to increase productivity at both plants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.univ-evry.fr/labos/gerpisa/actes/30/30-8.pdf|format=PDF|title=The 1998 Flint-GM strike - Bellwether of continental integration and lean production|work=Babson, Steve|accessdate=April 17|accessyear=2007}}</ref> The strike cost GM an estimated US$2.8 billion.<ref name="freep.com"/>
* leaving 50% of the site undeveloped


Shortly after the strike, it was announced that Delphi would be spun off in 1999 into what is now [[Delphi Corporation]], and Flint East was for a time part of Delphi's Energy and Engine Management Systems division. In 2002, ongoing financial problems caused the plant to be placed in the Automotive Holdings Group, a collection of underperforming plants that Delphi felt needed to be fixed, sold, or closed. Delphi declared bankruptcy in October 2005, and announced plans to close or sell 21 of its 29 US plants by Jan 1, 2008, including Flint East. Spark plug production, already greatly reduced, ended in early 2006.
* a 20% reduction in energy used for lighting the plant by lowering overall lighting in areas such as aisles.


Under an agreement reached by Delphi, General Motors, and the UAW in June 2007, Flint East and two other plants would remain open, but operated by GM or a third party designated by GM. Four other UAW-represented plants would be kept by Delphi, four sold, and at least ten others closed under the agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/BUSINESS01/706240581/1002|title=Delphi workers get choices|work=[[Detroit Free Press]]|accessdate=June 24|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
* the elimination of ozone-depleting substances used in any of the building’s heating and cooling, refrigeration, and fire suppression systems.


===Flint Faience Tile===
The factory grounds also contain a {{convert|75|acre|m2|sing=on}} wildlife area managed by the factory's Wildlife Habitat Team, who also hosts wildlife educational events for local community groups and schools.
In 1921, Champion founded the Flint Faience Tile Company in a building adjacent to the Harriet Street factory, firing decorative tiles in the same kilns as spark plugs. This was done so they could avoid shutting down the kilns when they were finished with spark plug production, because repeated cycles of cooling and reheating would damage the kilns. When AC expanded its operations to the former Dort Motor complex, Flint Faience moved to a new building there. The northwest portion of the plant still has these tiles along the outside, visible from Dort Highway and Davison Road. In 1933, General Motors closed the tile operation because of increased demand on the kilns for spark plugs. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/08/faience_tile_to_be_auctioned_f.html|title=Faience Tile to be auctioned for United Way|work=[[The Flint Journal]]|accessdate=August 1|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
 
==Products==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!Division
!Model
!Years produced
|-
|Saturn
|[[Saturn Outlook|Outlook]]
|2007-2009
|-
|GMC
|[[GMC Acadia|Acadia]]
|2007-2009
|-
|Buick
|[[Buick Enclave|Enclave]]
|2008-2009
|-
|Chevrolet
|[[Chevrolet Traverse|Traverse]]
|2009
|}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{coord|43|1|47.21|N|-83|39|2.89|E|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}
==See also==
* [[List of GM factories]]
 
==External links==
*[http://www.gmdynamic.com/company/gmability/environment/plants/facility_db/facility_summary.php?fID=229 Global Operations:  Lansing Delta Township Assembly profile]
*[http://www.local602.org/ Official Website of UAW 602]
 
{{coord|42|44|16.79|N|-84|35|2.85|E|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}


[[Category:General Motors factories]]
[[Category:General Motors factories]]
[[Category:Economy of Flint, Michigan]]
[[Category:Economy of Lansing, Michigan]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle assembly plants in Michigan]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle assembly plants in Michigan]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Flint, Michigan]]
[[Category:Eaton County, Michigan]]

Latest revision as of 02:18, 4 February 2009

Lansing Delta Township Assembly (GM LDT) is a General Motors automobile assembly factory in Delta Township, Michigan on land that is shared by both the nearby city of Lansing, and the township. It manufactures Saturn, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.

Completed in 2006, the factory measures 3.4 million ft² in size, and employs 2,928 hourly workers, and 265 salaried workers.[1] Its workers are represented by UAW 602.

"Green" Factory

Lansing Delta Township Assembly is a LEED gold-certified automobile plant, and the only automotive manufacturing facility in the world to receive any level of LEED certification. [2]

Environmental features of the factory include:

  • a 45% reduction in non-manufacturing water use, saving over 4 million gallons of water a year.
  • a roof drain system which catches rain water and diverts to cisterns stored above the factory's restrooms, which is then used to flush toilets.
  • having 25% of the plant's construction materials composed of recycled materials.
  • leaving 50% of the site undeveloped
  • a 20% reduction in energy used for lighting the plant by lowering overall lighting in areas such as aisles.
  • the elimination of ozone-depleting substances used in any of the building’s heating and cooling, refrigeration, and fire suppression systems.

The factory grounds also contain a 75-acre (300,000 m2) wildlife area managed by the factory's Wildlife Habitat Team, who also hosts wildlife educational events for local community groups and schools.

Products

Division Model Years produced
Saturn Outlook 2007-2009
GMC Acadia 2007-2009
Buick Enclave 2008-2009
Chevrolet Traverse 2009

References

  1. ↑ General Motors Facilities and the Environment, website accessed 15 July 2007
  2. ↑ GM Opens First-Ever LEED-Gold Certified Automobile Manufacturing Facility, GM Press Released - August 3, 2006, accessed July 15, 2007

See also

External links

Coordinates: 42°44′16.79″N -84°35′2.85″E / 42.7379972°N 83.415875°W / 42.7379972; -83.415875

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