Hundreds of people may soon be back on the payroll at the General Motors plant in Bedford, a fixture in the Southern Indiana community that suffered during the automaker's decline, but avoided closure. A news conference led by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the GM plant, which the Detroit automaker has run since 1942 and makes engine blocks, transmission cases and pistons.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. did not disclose other details in a news release today.
But the aluminum foundry plant -- which once employed more than 1,200 but was down to 425 in June 2009 and now employs 366 -- may benefit from GM's resurgence.
GM officials said last week that the company has made its final payment of $5.8 billion to the U.S. Treasury and Export Development Canada, paying back its government loans in full and ahead of schedule. And it highlighted an investment of $257 million at GM’s Fairfax, Kansas, and Detroit Hamtramck assembly centers.
Stats show there is market interest in GM products again.
March combined U.S. sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac jumped 43 percent from a year ago with crossovers, the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Camaro leading the charge. Total combined sales for GM’s four brands were 185,406 during the month, an increase of 34 percent from February.
As of mid-2009, GM employed about 5,300 in four plants, including one in Indianapolis already identified for closing by 2011.
