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November 14, 2002
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This Week:

• Ford MA Concept Unveiled At J Mays Museum Exhibit Opening

• 10th Anniversary for the BMW Group in Spartanburg 

• Toyota Announces Plan To Coordinate The Development Of California Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle "Community"

• World Premiere For The New Lacetti At The 2002 Seoul Motor Show

• Ford Names Padilla, Thursfield Executive Vice Presidents

• Daimler Hyundai Truck Corporation Achieves Important Milestone

• Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover Adds A Fourth Regional Office In Chicago

• MINI voted best Import Car 2002-2003 in Japan

• General Motors Powertrain Saginaw Metal Casting Operations Awarded Precision Sand Project

• Valeo's Bending Light system provides superior levels of comfort to Porsche Cayenne drivers

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General Motors Powertrain Saginaw Metal Casting Operations Awarded Precision Sand Project

New Technology At SMCO To Preserve 191 Jobs

PONTIAC, Mich. - General Motors Powertrain (GMPT) Saginaw (Mich.) Metal Casting Operations (SMCO) has been awarded the precision sand project to produce engine block castings for GM's next generation of aluminum V-8 engines. The company plans to invest approximately $80 million to renovate a portion of the facility to install precision sand technology, retaining jobs for 191 employees who currently work at the plant. The new engine will power future trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles. Research, development and the installation of related equipment are scheduled to begin before the end of 2002, with the new engines planned for the second half of 2006.

Homi Patel, vice president and general manager of manufacturing for GMPT, announced the new project for SMCO. "I am very pleased that GM plans to make the investment at SMCO to bring precision sand technology to this facility. The SMCO team led by Rick Sutton, plant manager of Saginaw Casting Operations; Ron Brogan, chairman of United Automobile Workers (UAW) Local 668; and Jon Charters, chairman of International Association of Machinists (IAM) Local 2839; is to be commended for their hard work and dedication in developing a successful business case to bring this new process to the plant.

Precision sand involves a resin-bonded sand that forms a mold, which shapes the contours of the product to be produced. The sand is cured into a solid exterior mold. Molten metal is then poured into the mold. This process allows the use of cast-in-place iron liners, pressurized aluminum filling and produces a high degree of dimensional accuracy.

SMCO produces the engine block and head for the Vortec 4200 Inline 6, Vortec 4800 V-8, Vortec 5300 V-8 and Vortec 6000 V-8. The plant also produces the engine block for the 3800 (V-6 and supercharged). About 2,400 hourly and salaried employees work at the 1.87 million square foot facility.

(November 18, 2002)