GM to invest $20 mln in Kansas Assembly Plant

General Motors will invest $20 million in machinery and equipment for its Fairfax Assembly plant to add future technologies and improvements of the Buick LaCrosse including eAssist of a light electrification technology that will boost highway fuel economy by 25 percent over the current model.

The LaCrosse has been critical to the resurgence of Buick, bringing many new customers to Buick showrooms, said GM Manufacturing Manager Jim Glynn. This investment to improve an already strong car will help us continue winning converts to the brand.

The Fairfax investment is primarily for manufacturing machinery, equipment and special tooling for the current facility. The plant, which opened in 1987, is home to the LaCrosse and the Chevrolet Malibu. With more than 3,900 employees, the Fairfax plant is the largest employer in the Kansas City Metro area. The plant operates on three shifts and in 2010 produced 320,000 Malibus and LaCrosses.

The announcement is part of the $2-billion in U.S. investment that GM recently announced for 17 facilities in eight states. This is on top of $3.4 billion invested and 9,000 jobs created or retained in the United States since mid-2009, the statement added.