General Motors finally unveiled plans for its $1.4 billion expansion and renovation of its Arlington plant Tuesday, to include a new paint shop, a new body shop, and technological upgrades. The construction will begin immediately and take three years to complete. Production will continue as usual during construction. The plant is the only one that produces the company’s full-size SUVs, and it currently operates at full capacity. The expansion will add 1.2 million square feet to the existing plant, utilizing the currently unused space on the property.
The plant currently employs 4,125 people. There is no official prediction for the number of jobs this investment may create. This is the largest expansion in the plant’s 61 year history. Over the past fifteen years, the company has spent $200 million for a new stamping facility in Arlington, $331 million to retool the plant, and $500 million to build a new 750,000 square-foot body shop. The SUVs produced at the Arlington plant — which include Chevrolet Tahoes, Cadillac Escalades, and Yukon XL — make up about 30 percent of the company’s total profit. The expansion will account for greater than 22 percent of GM’s intended expansion spending over the next three years.