[Report] "GM's Mother Factory Is the Changwon Plant... We Will Dispel Withdrawal Rumors"

The five robot fingers, stretched out like human fingers, picked up the nuts. The robot arm, holding the car wheel and tire, aligned itself with the moving vehicle body and installed the wheel. In just about 10 seconds, it tightened five nuts simultaneously. In the blink of an eye, four wheels were assembled onto the car body as it smoothly moved along the conveyor belt. The demanding two-person task, where one worker had to lift the wheel and another had to assemble it with a large impact wrench, has now been replaced by a large robotic arm. As a result, musculoskeletal disorders among workers have decreased, and since there is no need to stop the conveyor, productivity has increased.

On April 28, the GM Korea Changwon Plant that I visited was operating at over 95% capacity. It continues to rank number one among all General Motors (GM) plants worldwide in terms of utilization rate. The key to its success lies in proactive automation. Following the automated wheel and tire assembly robot, last August, the Changwon Plant became the first among all GM factories to introduce a bin picking system that uses vision systems such as cameras and sensors to set up the assembly of small parts.

Dongwoo Lee, Vice President of Production at GM Korea, explained, "The Changwon Plant is a factory built in accordance with global guidelines, making it a 'mother factory' (core production base) in itself. Many foreign employees visit the Changwon Plant to learn about automation and see the world’s first automation facilities that have been implemented here."

Since 2019, the GM Korea Changwon Plant has been producing the Trax Crossover and Trailblazer. After seven years, cumulative production has surpassed 2 million units. These two models became the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. small sport utility vehicle (SUV) market for three consecutive years from 2023 through last year, establishing the Changwon Plant as a global success story within the GM Group's production network.

Originally opened in 1991 as a plant dedicated to compact cars and light commercial vehicles, the Changwon facility was transformed into a small SUV production plant in 2022 following GM’s investment of 900 billion won. Currently, the plant covers a total area of about 730,000 square meters and employs over 3,500 people.

With GM’s investment, the Changwon Plant began manufacturing the Trax, which has ranked as the top export model for three consecutive years since 2023 and has recorded nearly 1 million cumulative sales to date. Last year alone, a total of 296,658 units were exported, with 264,855 units sold in the U.S. market, capturing approximately 27% of the small SUV segment.

The Trailblazer has also established itself as a steady seller since its global launch in 2020, thanks to stable driving performance, including an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, and versatility to handle a variety of driving environments.

Asif Katri, Executive Vice President of Production for GM’s Overseas Business Division, stated, "The milestone of 2 million units produced is not just a number; it means we are responsible for the safety of approximately 2 million families worldwide. My two daughters who live in the United States also drive Trax vehicles," he shared.

He continued, "In the U.S. market last year, a combined total of 422,792 Trax and Trailblazer units were sold, accounting for about a 43% share of the small SUV segment. As vehicles produced in Korea continue to see sustained demand and results in the global market, we will further strengthen the competitiveness of our Korean operations through continued investment."

GM plans to invest 600 million dollars (880 billion won) in its Korean operations to continue the successful model of the Changwon Plant. Of this, 300 million dollars will be invested in enhancing the competitiveness of Korean-made small SUV models and improving plant performance, while the remainder will be allocated to strengthening production facilities and operational infrastructure.

Through these initiatives, GM aims to advance production facilities, modernize the plant-including the introduction of new press machines-improve safety infrastructure and working conditions, and boost operational efficiency, thereby strengthening manufacturing competitiveness and ensuring ongoing competitiveness in the global market.

Executive Vice President Katri emphasized that rumors about GM Korea’s withdrawal are "not true." He added, "We are working to dispel such speculation through direct action, such as installing a 5,200-ton press facility, rather than just words. We are focusing on how to keep the plant running continuously and how to maximize production in cooperation with the labor union."

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