GM LORDSTOWN Overhaul to be done in 18 months

Construction contracts will begin to be awarded in January for GM work.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
LORDSTOWN -- The massive overhaul of the General Motors plants here is to be completed in 18 months.
Washington Group International released its timetable Wednesday as it announced it has been named the construction manager for most of the work at the Lordstown assembly and fabricating plants.
The company's 15-member project staff will work closely with plant and union officials to find the safest way to keep Chevrolet Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunfires coming off the line during the overhaul, said Gary Andrus, Washington Group vice president.
"It could be working on the weekends or whatever it takes. Keeping production is our first priority," he said.
Andrus said the project is to be completed in spring 2004 because GM intends to begin building a new small-car model at the assembly plant late that year. It is spending $550 million on plant changes and machinery upgrades to prepare for the new model.
Andrus said the assembly and fabricating plants will undergo extensive renovation once contracts are awarded by GM starting in January.
Challenges
The challenging part of the work will be moving the assembly line as construction work progresses in order to keep production going.
The Boise, Idaho-based company has worked on many renovation and construction projects for automakers and is sending its "A team" to Lordstown, Andrus said.
Much of the work involves preparing the plant for new machinery, including installing new foundations for presses in the fabricating plant, upgrading electrical substations and revising lighting systems. It also will oversee work needed for creation of a new body shop.
There also will be structural changes to the assembly plant, including 14 new loading docks. Andrus said the docks are needed for the increased use of subassemblies, which are sections of the car built off the assembly line.
Andrus wouldn't disclose the amount of the Lordstown contract.
His firm is not involved with one of the most expensive parts, a new paint shop that will be housed in a new addition.
Preparing bid packages
Andrus said his company is preparing bid packages for specific work that must be done. GM has said there will be at least 15 bid packages, but similar projects have had 30 packages, Andrus said.
Washington Group will begin interviewing contractors to qualify them for work but can't discuss specific work until the bid packages are completed in January, he said.
He said the company likes to work with local contractors and will invite minority companies to participate, but contracts will be awarded to whichever qualified company submits the best offer.
Washington Group's automotive unit is in Troy, Mich., and it has an office in Cleveland.
The company has 30,000 employees worldwide and also works with energy, environmental, mining, telecommunications and other companies.
The company emerged from bankruptcy protection last January. Andrus said the company went into bankruptcy court to reorganize operations after it became involved in a lawsuit related to an acquisition of another company last year.
shilling@vindy.com