CAMI Automotive

CAMI Assembly
Industry Automotive industry
Predecessor Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc.
Founded 1986 (1986)
Headquarters Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada
43°01′01″N 80°53′15″W / 43.01694°N 80.88750°W / 43.01694; -80.88750
Number of locations
 Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada
Products Crossover utility vehicles
Services Automotive manufacturing
Owner General Motors Canada

CAMI Automotive is wholly owned by General Motors Canada. The plant occupies 570 acres (230 ha) and has 1,700,000 square feet (157,900 m2) of floor space of which 400,000 square feet (37,161 m2) was added in 2016[1] as part of a $560 million investment.[2]

CAMI uses the CAMI Production System (CPS), a set of operating philosophies that guide team members in manufacturing vehicles. The basis of the system is working in teams performing standardized work.

Recent developments

Prior to December 2009, ownership of CAMI was split 50-50% between Suzuki and General Motors of Canada Ltd.,[3] the former withdrew from the venture after it stopped production of its XL7 models at CAMI in June 2009 due to poor sales.[3]

CAMI was an independently incorporated joint venture of automobile manufacturing in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and formed the third step of GM's three-pronged initiative of the mid-1980s to capture and practice the Japanese mystique of automotive management. The other two were United Australian Automobile Industries between Toyota and Holden in Australia, and NUMMI in California with Toyota and GM, the latter a wholly owned alternative to apply its learnings into practice. CAMI was the least successful of the trio for decades, but is now the sole survivor.

In Nov 2009, GM announced to invest US$85 million investment at the plant, raising production by 40,000 vehicles to 240,000 by adding a third shift, resulting in the recall of about 150 laid-off autoworkers in preparation of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.[3][4]

From 2013 the plant has produced vehicles based on GM's Theta platform for crossover SUVs; production of the second generation Chevrolet Equinox for fleet sales continued even as production of the third generation model started on 8 January 2017.[5] In 2013 GM announced a US$200 million (C$250 million) investment for a new body shop and flexible manufacturing equipment and tooling to support future production.[6]

In early 2015, GM announced to invest US$450 million (C$560 million) in the plant in preparation for production of the next generation Chevrolet Equinox.[6] The amount included C$190 million at the plant and C$370 million in vendor tooling with suppliers.[2]

In January 2017, GM announced it would cut 625 workers as a result of shifting production of the second generation GMC Terrain to Mexico and phasing out the second generation Chevrolet Equinox earlier than planned.[7] CAMI Automotive has 2,800 hourly and 300 salaried employees in early 2017 before the layoff.[8] CAMI also supplied unfinished bodies of Chevrolet Equinox to GM's Oshawa Car Assembly for painting and final assembly.[9] The arrangement ended after the production of the second generation Chevrolet Equinox ceased in 2017. In response to the Terrain's shifting and due to the production of the Equinox in two plants in Mexico, workers went on a strike demanding CAMI become the main assembly point of the Equinox. The strike ended in October 16, 2017.[10]

Awards and highlights

  • In the 2005 Harbour Report, CAMI was ranked No. 3 in truck assembly in the Small SUV category of the 45 auto assembly plants in North America.
  • Recognized as the most efficient plant in North America four years in a row (2012,2013,2014, and 2015)
  • J.D. Power Silver Plant Award for the Americas – June 2014
  • Landfill Free status achieved in January 2014
  • Clean50 - 'Leaders in Sustainability' Top 15 Project winner - September 2015
  • Best GMNA Plant in Wiring Warranty Performance – February 2014

Current products

The plant had been producing both the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain until the middle of 2017 when production of the GMC Terrain was phased out.[11][8]

Historical timeline

  • 1986 - CAMI Automotive established
  • 1989 - Production of J1 (Suzuki Sidekick and Geo Tracker), M2 (Geo Metro) begins
  • 1993 - Total CAMI production reaches 500,000.
  • 1994 - Production of M3 (Geo Metro and Pontiac Firefly) begins.
  • 1996 - Total CAMI production reaches 1.5 million vehicles.
  • 1998 - Production of J2 (Suzuki Vitara and Geo Tracker) begins and CAMI receives ISO 9002 registration for its Quality Management System.
  • 2000 - CAMI receives ISO 14001 registration for its Environmental Management System.
  • 2003 - Total CAMI production reaches 11.5 million vehicles.
  • 2004 - Production of Chevrolet Equinox begins.
  • 2005 - Production of Pontiac Torrent begins.
  • 2006 - Production of Suzuki XL7 begins.
  • 2009 - Production of Suzuki XL7 put on indefinite hold.
  • 2009 - Production of GMC Terrain begins.
  • 2009 - Suzuki withdraws from venture; gives General Motors full control.
  • 2016 - Plant expansion
  • 2017 - Production start of third generation Equinox;[5] production of sister second generation Terrain moved to Mexico;[12] in response of the Terrain's moving to Mexico, workers go on a strike demanding CAMI to become the main assembly point of the Equinox in order to prevent more shiftings to Mexico.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chessell, Bruce (2016-01-24). "GM's Ingersoll CAMI plant looking to hire assembly line and skilled trade workers". Woodstock Sentinel-Review. Retrieved 2017-01-15.
  2. 1 2 "GM to invest $450 million in Cami assembly plant in Ingersoll: report". Global News. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2017-01-15 – via The Canadian Press.
  3. 1 2 3 Freeman, Sunny (4 Dec 2009). "GM taking full ownership of Ingersoll CAMI car plant". The Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Greimel, Hans (4 Dec 2009). "GM buys Suzuki's stake in CAMI joint-venture". The Automotive News. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  5. 1 2 Matos, Nadia (2017-01-07). "Cami Automotive in Ingersoll to begin new Chevrolet Equinox production". CTV News. Retrieved 2017-01-15 – via The Canadian Press.
  6. 1 2 "GM Canada to invest C$560 million in Ingersoll plant". Reuters. 12 Feb 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Susan; Sharp, Alastair (27 Jan 2017). "GM to cut 625 jobs in Canada, move some work to Mexico: union". Reuters. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  8. 1 2 De Bono, Norman (27 Jan 2017). "Cami Ingersoll slashing 600 jobs, moving Terrain production to Mexico". The London Free Press. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  9. ↑ Keenan, Greg (17 Feb 2017). "GM going it alone on $554-million Ontario investment". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  10. ↑ LeBel, Jacquelyn (16 Oct 2017). "General Motors CAMI plant strike to end after workers approve tentative agreement". Global News. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  11. ↑ Stacey, Megan (12 Jan 2017). "GM Cami Assembly plant in Ingersoll starts building next generation Chevrolet Equinox and plans for phase out of GMC Terrain as production of its new model moves to Mexico". The Woodstock Sentinel Review. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  12. ↑ Welch, David (2017-01-08). "GM to Move Production of GMC Terrain to Mexico From Canada". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2017-01-15.
  13. ↑ "GM workers at Ingersoll plant go on strike". Toronto Sun. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
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