Oshawa Car Assembly Plant to Add Second Shift to Support Buick Regal Production

2010-02-11

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TORONTO, ON, February 11, 2010 – Plans to add a second shift to the Oshawa Car Assembly Plant’s state-of-the-art flexible manufacturing line were announced today by General Motors of Canada at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. The shift will begin in the fourth quarter of 2010 in preparation for the North American production of the Buick Regal, which is slated to commence in the first quarter of 2011.  

“We’re really excited to be adding production of the all-new Buick Regal alongside the hot-selling Chevrolet Camaro at the Oshawa Car Assembly Plant,” said Marc Comeau, GM of Canada’s vice-president of sales, service and marketing. “With the plant’s longstanding reputation for quality, and the Regal’s award-winning European roots, customers are in for a top quality ride, unlike anything they’ve seen from Buick before.”

The new 2011 Regal is a midsize sport sedan based on the award-winning Opel Insignia – the 2009 “European Car of the Year” – and it brings all of Insignia’s award-winning design, technology and European-inspired performance capabilities to the North American market.   

The addition of the second shift to support Buick Regal production is expected to return up to 700 employees to the Oshawa Car Plant and is the latest in a string of positive news for GM manufacturing in Canada, including:

• Oshawa Car Plant running Saturday overtime since June 2009 to keep up with demand for the Chevrolet Camaro
• Production of the Camaro Convertible will begin in Oshawa in Q1 2011
• The recent addition of a 3rd shift, plus steady scheduled overtime at CAMI Automotive, plus an additional investment of $C96 million to add a further 50,000 units of annual capacity to keep up with strong demand for the all-new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain
• The recent $200m investment in the high feature V6 engine to increase capacity in St. Catharines and to implement Spark Ignition, Direct Injection technology
• The announcement of a planned additional module of the new 6-speed front wheel drive transmission to be built at St. Catharines

The new Buick Regal joins the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain as the third new vehicle in the production commitment that was part of the agreement with the Canadian and Ontario Governments. 

About General Motors of Canada

Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL) employs over 9,000 people across the country and is a recognized leader in green manufacturing.  GMCL markets the full range of fuel-efficient Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles and related services through Canada's largest automotive dealer network, which employs over 23,000 people dedicated to delivering a top customer experience. GMCL also plays a leadership role in automotive design and engineering, engaging in innovative research and development partnerships with leading Canadian universities and research institutes. In addition, through its Canadian Engineering Centres, GMCL conducts development activities ranging from cold weather testing to the advancement of key electric vehicle and green technologies. www.gm.ca.

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