By Michael Mroziak
Tonawanda, NY – General Motors is investing $33 million in new equipment at its Tonawanda Powertrain plant, so that the local workforce can produce the automaker's Ecotec fuel-efficient engine.
The announcement was made late Friday morning in a ceremony on the plant grounds. Numerous employees, union representatives, elected officials and invited guests were on hand to hear the announcement by Tonawanda Powertrain plant manager Steve Finch.
"Even more importantly as a result, we will add or retain about 100 jobs here at Tonawanda," Finch said.
Numerous speakers, starting with United Auto Workers Local 774 Shop Chairman Bob Coleman, said the new investment is a testament to the good work coming from the Tonawanda work force.
"People don't realize we actually compete against our own GM facilities to get work in a facility," said Coleman.
This investment in the Tonawanda facility is part of a broader $2 billion investment GM is making at plants in eight states, creating or retaining an estimated 4,000 jobs overall.
Part of Friday's ceremony also included charitable donations to three local agencies, something Finch said was put on hold by the company during its recent hard times.
Receiving donations at this ceremony were the Boys & Girls Club of the Northtowns ($10,000), American Cancer Society ($20,000) and United Way of Buffalo & Erie County ($20,000).