KANSAS CITY, KS – General Motors is making a $600-million investment in its Fairfax Assembly and Stamping Plant, including the construction of a new 450,000-square-foot paint shop, the installation of a new stamping press and other upgrades.

Construction at the 3.2-million-square-foot plant begins later this year and is expected to take about two years to complete, increasing the footprint of the plant by about 15 percent to 3.7 million-square-feet.

The all-new paint shop includes substantial upgrades in technology and will occupy a new building at Fairfax, with new tooling, robots and state-of-the-art environmental and efficiency enhancements. Some of the upgrades include:

• up to 20-percent smaller footprint, up to 50-percent less energy use per vehicle and reduced VOC emissions;
• GM-patented Radiant Tub Ovens, designed to use 20 percent less natural gas and 40 percent less electricity;
• thin film technology, which reduces water use and maintenance and eliminates hazardous chemicals from the waste stream; and
• Hyper Throw E-COAT, which places more coating in cavities and recesses for optimal corrosion protection.

The Fairfax plant currently builds the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu.