General Motors Plans Investment in Michigan

G.M. plans to make investments totaling $500 million to help modernize five of its Michigan factories, according to any anonymous source with direct knowledge of a scheduled news conference for Tuesday afternoon at its manufacturing headquarters in Pontiac.
The investments began last summer at the plants, which include assembly and parts operations around the state. They will not create large numbers of new jobs, but will likely be filled by workers who are laid off from other G.M. factories.
According to Elizabeth Boyd, a spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, the investments will be good news for the state, which has been hit hard by the auto industry slowdown. Any time jobs can be created, Boyd said, “That’s something to celebrate.”
The company lost $8.6 billion in 2005 and has plans to reduce its costs. Planned closings of all or part of 12 plants, including a small assembly plant in Lansing, were announced in November. In addition, the moves are expected to eliminate 30,000 jobs through 2008.
G.M. said earlier this month it would invest $118 million at a factory outside Baltimore to manufacture parts for hybrid-electric sport utility vehicles, an investment that is expected to create approximately 87 jobs.