11.1.2002
GM celebrates the grand opening of Lansing Grand River Assembly plant

The all-new GM Lansing Grand River (LGR) vehicle assembly plant was unveiled on Wednesday at a grand opening celebration attended by GM executives, employees, media, industry analysts and state and local officials.

Participating in the event were Rick Wagoner, GM President and CEO; Gary Cowger, President of GM North America; Cal Rapson, UAW Regional Director, John Engler, governor of Michigan and David Hollister, Mayor of Lansing.

"LGR is the latest in a long line of outstanding GM facilities all around the world-including recently built facilities in Poland, China, Argentina, Brazil and Thailand," said Wagoner. "The experience gained, and lessons learned, from each of those facilities is now concentrated right here at LGR-and it makes this plant truly state of the art."

LGR is GM's first all-new U.S. assembly plant since construction began on the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. in 1986. Construction for LGR began in late 1999. Production of the first product, the all-new 2003 Cadillac CTS began in the fourth quarter 2001. The plant began shipping the vehicles to Cadillac dealers on January 7, 2002.

The $559 million, 1.9-million-square-foot plant is comprised of three buildings - the Body Shop, Paint Department and General Assembly.