Warren County facility will build America’s most advanced series-production sports car
Bowling Green, KY — Governor Matt Bevin joined General Motors Co. Chairman and CEO Mary Barra among federal, state and local officials in announcing and welcoming the company’s plans to add a second shift and more than 400 new employees at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in preparation to build the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette later this year.
“What a great day for Kentucky! I often speak about how we are the engineering and manufacturing hub of America. Today, we’re wearing that title more boldly than ever,” Gov. Bevin said. “These new workers, together with the plant’s current employees, will not only build the iconic Corvette and carry forward the nearly 40-year marriage between Corvette and Kentucky, but will also be members of the team that launches the technical tour-de-force, eighth-generation car off the production line and onto the global stage. Our commonwealth is incredibly proud to be the home of the Corvette. We are grateful to Mary Barra and GM for the relationship we share, and for this strong vote of confidence in Kentucky’s future.”
The new jobs will push the plant’s total employment beyond 1,300.
“The Corvette’s iconic status owes so much to the men and women of Bowling Green, where it has been built exclusively for almost 40 years,” Barra said. “This is the workforce that can deliver a next generation Corvette worthy of both its historic past and an equally exciting future, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to its reveal on July 18.”
Since 2011, GM has invested more than $900 million into Bowling Green plant upgrades. Recent projects included a new body shop, increased engine-building capacity, a new paint shop and addition of a Performance Build Center.
GM began building Corvettes at the Bowling Green plant in 1981. The facility has remained the exclusive home of the Corvette ever since. To date, its employees have produced more than 1 million Corvettes. The plant includes the largest solar array of any automaker in Kentucky, and its annual economic impact exceeds $76 million in state wages and $15 million in income tax.
The Corvette is the world’s longest-running, continuously produced passenger car, with more than 1.6 million units produced since 1954 and international recognition as America’s sports car.
Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson said the city will continue to benefit as the GM plant grows.
“The Corvette has been a major symbol of Bowling Green’s heritage,” Mayor Wilkerson said. “We are very excited about this announcement and the number of jobs GM is creating. I am so proud to be part of such a growing local economy; GM has been an integral part of our success over the years.”
Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon welcomed the economic boost the new jobs will bring.
“Job creation of this magnitude by a company like GM is a significant investment in the future of the people of Warren County,” Judge-Executive Buchanon said. “The General Motors Assembly plant has been in our business community since 1981, and job growth of this size doesn’t come around often. I am excited to see the impact it will have in Warren County in the years to come.”
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ron Bunch applauded the employment growth.
“The General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green is a tremendous asset to the region,” Bunch said. “They are an integral part of our commonwealths thriving economy, we are excited about the job growth and look forward to their many more years of success in our community.”
GM has an incentive agreement from June 2016 when the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved the company for up to $3 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
For more information on the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, visit www.CorvetteAssembly.com.
A detailed community profile for Warren County can be viewed here.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency responsible for encouraging new jobs and investment in the state. New capital investment announced in Kentucky under the Bevin Administration has totaled more than $19 billion, spurring nearly 52,000 projected new jobs. Information on available industrial properties, workforce development assistance, incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other economic development resources is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com.
