Buick City

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Buick City
Buick motor works flint 1907.jpg
The Buick Motor Works in 1907
Buick City
Built1904
Operated1904–1999
Location Flint, Michigan
Coordinates 43°02′53″N83°41′05″W / 43.048°N 83.68483°W / 43.048; -83.68483
Industry Automotive
Products Little and Buick automobiles
Area235-acre (950,000 m2)
AddressLeith St.
Owner(s) Flint Wagon (1904–1911)
General Motors (1911–2010)
DefunctJune 1999;24 years ago (1999-06)

Buick City was a massive, vertically-integrated automobile manufacturing complex in northeast Flint, Michigan, which served the Buick home plant between 1904 and 1999. In the early 1980s, after major renovations were completed to better compete with Japanese producers, the plant was renamed to "Buick City". [1]

Contents

History

From 1904 to its closure in 1999, Buick City was the central plant for Buick and one of General Motors' largest factories; for those years, the majority of Buick automobiles were produced at Buick City.

The original factory at one time was the largest in the world, consisting of 24 separate buildings contributing to the manufacturing process, [2] until 1928 when the Ford River Rouge Complex was completed and began operations. In the beginning, all components were manufactured in one location, to include wheel bearings, nuts, bolts, and screws, to transmissions, suspension components, wheels and interior components. Operations were carried out in this fashion well into the 1940s and beyond.

Origins

Elements of the 235-acre (950,000 m2) complex dated from before 1904, when it was known as Flint Wagon Works; the first manufacturing operations at the site started in 1898 after Billy Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort purchased the Imperial Wheel Company and moved its factory to the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and St. John Street (now James P. Cole Blvd). [3] : 2–1  After Flint Wagon Works purchased Buick Motor Company in September 1903, Buick's operations were relocated to a location in Flint, on Hamilton between Industrial and St. John, producing 16 cars in 1903 and 37 in 1904. [3] : 2–2 

Home plant

Buick factory main building c. 1906 Buick motor co factory flint.jpg
Buick factory main building c. 1906

The plant originated with Buick before the formation of General Motors. Other elements were built by early manufacturers and suppliers like Fisher Body. General Motors was founded in 1908, including Buick, which produced 30,000 cars in Flint for 1910. [3] : 2–2  After General Motors assumed operations, the factory was expanded to accommodate the manufacturing and assembly of Buick vehicles and components. For more than 80 years, it was Buick's "home plant" and built the majority of models in the lineup.

By 1915, the Durant/Dort Carriage Company had ceased operations, including the Imperial Wheel Works division; its buildings, near the northeast corner of Industrial and Hamilton, were incorporated into Buick, which started expanding north. [4] : 2–2  In 1918, Buick switched production to the Liberty L-12 engine in Flint, supporting manufacturing for military aircraft and vehicles used in World War I. [3] : 2–2  By 1923, Buick had produced one million cars. [4] : 2–2 

Car production stopped from 1942 to 1946 as GM plants switched over to producing trucks, tanks, and aircraft; Buick specialized in making the M18 Hellcat, the fastest tank destroyer of the entire war. After World War II, when vehicle production resumed, Buick City was the primary location where all components were created, with knock-down kits distributed to assembly plants in major metropolitan US cities, where the vehicles were locally assembled and distributed in their respective regions.

"Buick City"

Map showing Buick division headquarters and factory, 1950 Buick City (1950).jpg
Map showing Buick division headquarters and factory, 1950

Buick built rear-wheel drive A-body Regals, B-body LeSabres, and C-body Electras at the Flint campus; however, GM considered moving vehicle production to a newer facility that was scheduled to open in 1985. In response, a senior administrator wrote the Buick City business plan, which was adopted in 1982. [5] After several updates and a US$350 million investment, it was christened "Buick City" in September 1985, GM's answer to Toyota City, adopting the latter's high technology, just-in-time manufacturing methods, labor-management cooperation, and inventory control. [6] Production of Buick and Oldsmobile H-body cars was scheduled to commence at Buick City for the 1986 model year. [7]

The Buick City concept represented a successful attempt by General Motors to compete with Japanese manufacturers; the 1989 Buick LeSabre built in Buick City was the top-ranked car in the J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey for that year; it was the first American built car to appear on the list. [8] [9]

For the engine assembly plant (Factory 36), the engine block and cylinder heads were cast at Defiance Foundry in Defiance, Ohio and earlier at Saginaw Metal Casting Operations in Saginaw, Michigan.

Closure and demolition

At the end of 1986, General Motors announced that 11 manufacturing plants would be closed by 1989; [lower-alpha 1] [11] this put 35,000 of the 150,000 Flint residents out of work, [12] and the subsequent economic toll on the community was chronicled in Michael Moore's 1989 documentary film, Roger & Me , [13] although the closure of Buick City would not start until a decade after the film was released.

Citing declining sedan sales, General Motors announced in 1997 the Buick City plant would close; [14] the last day of vehicle assembly plant operations was June 29, 1999. [15] [16] That same year, Buick City won J. D. Power's Platinum Award for assembly plant quality. [17] As of 2016, it is the only General Motors plant to win the award. The final cars built at Buick City were the Pontiac Bonneville and the Buick LeSabre. Full-size sedan manufacturing was consolidated at Orion Assembly.

Vehicle engines and components continued to be manufactured in the northern part of the site, renamed General Motors Powertrain Flint North, for approximately another decade; however, the remainder of Buick City was vacated by GM employees and site responsibilities were transferred to Motors Liquidation Company as of December 6, 2010. [18] In 2013, American Cast Iron Pipe Company announced plans to construct a new 200,000 square foot manufacturing plant on the former Buick City complex. [19]

Reuse

The plant's acreage became an EPA cleanup site. [20]

In August 2018, a 156,000-square-foot Lear Corporation seat manufacturing facility opened, built on 33 acres of the former Buick City site in Flint. [21]

Site

Buick City
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Key locations for Buick City
1
N/Building 38 [warehouse]
2
N/Factory 36 [engines]
3
N/Factory 05 (Bldgs 43, 65, 99) [transmission components]
4
N/Factory 10 (Bldg 20) [transmissions]
5
N/Factory 03 (Bldg 30) [coil springs]
6
N/Factory 81 (Bldgs 69–74) [torque converters]
7
N/Factory 83/84 (Bldgs 11, 32, 66, 83) [engine components]
8
N/Bldgs 15, 61, 85 [site support & labs]
9
N/Building 07 [steam plant]
10
S/Factory 86 (Bldgs 03, 04, 08, 10, 12, 16, 23, 29, 40, 44, 94) [vehicle assembly]
11
S/Factory 28 (Bldgs 17, 28, 84) [powertrain development]
12
S/Building 01 [administration]

The Buick City site occupies 412.947 acres (167.114 ha), bounded approximately by E Pierson Rd (to the north), Saginaw, North, Industrial, and Andrew/Horton (to the west), E Hamilton Ave (to the south), and CSX Railroad and James P Cole Blvd (to the east). [22] It is divided into the Northend (north of Leith) and Southend (south of Leith). Automobile manufacturing activities in the Southend ceased in 1999 and the buildings were demolished by 2002; the Northend continued manufacturing automotive parts and components until 2010, and most buildings there were demolished by 2012. [23]

Structures

Building 01 (administration)

Building 01, built in 1968, was a three-story building with approximately 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m2) of floor space, used solely as an administration building with no manufacturing operations. [4] : 3–1 

Factory 03 (coil springs)

Factory 03 encompassed Building 30 and its annexes (30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F), approximately 205,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) in total, used to manufacture coil springs. [3] : 3–9 

Factory 05 (transmission components)

Factory 05 was Building 43, with approximately 650,000 sq ft (60,000 m2) of floor space used for manufacturing transmission components. [3] : 3–7 

Building 07 (steam plant)

Building 07 housed three fossil-fired boilers (coal or natural gas) to generate process steam and compressed air for site operations. Each boiler produced up to 400,000 lb/h (180,000 kg/h) of steam at 200 psi (1,400 kPa) [gage]. It had approximately 170,000 sq ft (16,000 m2) of floor area. [3] : 3–18 

Factory 10 (transmissions)

Factory 10 encompasses Buildings 20, 22, and 24; Building 20 had approximately 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m2) of floor area and was used as an aluminum foundry during World War II, then as the Dynaflow transmission assembly plant. [3] : 3–5 

Buildings 15, 61, 61A, and 85 (facilities / laboratories)

These buildings collectively had approximately 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m2) of space and were used for site facilities engineering, maintenance and construction, and Powertrain laboratories. [3] : 3–16 

Factory 36 (engines)

Factory (Building) 36 had approximately 1,100,000 sq ft (100,000 m2) of floor area and was used for machining, assembly, and testing of vehicle engines and engine components. [3] : 3–2 

Building 38 (warehouse)

Building 38 had slightly more than 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) of floor area and was used as a warehouse for vehicle engines and engine parts, Product Evaluation Program car cleaning, and light vehicle repair. [3] : 3–1 

Factory 81 (torque converters)

Factory 81 encompassed Buildings 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, and 74 along with their respective annexes. Prior to 1981, these were used as a gray iron foundry; after remodeling that year, it was converted to a manufacturing and assembly plant for torque converters. [3] : 3–11 

Factory 83/84 (aka Factory 31, engine components)

Factory 83/84 included 950,000 sq ft (88,000 m2) of building space, divided between Buildings 11, 32, 66, and 83. Prior to 1981, it was used to manufacture front and rear axles; after the remodeling, it built "white metal" engine components, including pistons, water pumps, and manifolds. [3] : 3–14  This is also known as Factory 31. Building 11 was the first built under General Motors, completed in 1909 for US$1 million. Engine component manufacturing was moved to Factory 36 in 2004. [24]

Factory 86 (vehicle assembly)

Factory 86 encompasses Buildings 03, 04, 08, 10, 12, 16, 23, 29, 40, 44, and 94, collectively with 1,800,000 sq ft (170,000 m2) of space, used for vehicle assembly, testing, and storage. [4] : 3–3  Building 04, completed in 1947, was used for final assembly, with 435,000 sq ft (40,400 m2) of space; Building 16 also was used for final assembly, with 194,000 sq ft (18,000 m2) of space. [4] : 3–4, 3–9  Building 44 was the paint shop, with 113,000 sq ft (10,500 m2) of space, completed in 1977. [4] : 3–5  Building 08 was completed in 1972 and used for final car preparation. [4] : 3–9 

Building 40 was used for wheel and tire assembly and storage for blemished body parts. [4] : 3–10  Building 12 was the body shop, where underbody assembly and body panel manufacturing was carried out. [4] : 3–12 

Factory 94 (drivetrain development)

Factory 94 encompasses 650,000 sq ft (60,000 m2) of total area in Buildings 17, 28, and 84; it was used for engine and drivetrain development and testing. Buildings 28 and 84 were used for GM Powertrain V-6 Engineering. [4] : 3–22, 3–23 

Buick City factory buildings [3] : 2–6, 2–13, 2–14  [4] : 2–4, 2–5, 2–13, 2–14 
BldgSiteNameBuiltNotes
01STransmission Plant1906Demolished before 2000
01SAdministration1968
02SFormer Plastics Plant1917Expanded in 1943 (02A) and 1979 (02C) for Material Handling Storage
03SDrop Forge1908Demolished before 2000
03SCar Loading/Rail Shipping1965
04SBody Plantbefore 1906Demolished before 2000
04SBuick City Assembly1947
05SEnameling1914Demolished before 2000
05SSouth Primary Substation1967
06SAssembly1907Demolished before 2000
06NNorth Primary Substation1967
07SMain Office and Administration1917Demolished before 2000
07NPowerhouse1973, 1983
08SLaboratory and Garage1908Demolished before 2000
08SBuick City Final Assembly1972
09SFueling Station1919Demolished before 2000
09SFacilities Engineering1977
10SAssembly1909Demolished before 2000
10SCar Marshalling - Repair & Shipping1978
11NPowertrain Components1909
12SBuick City Final Assembly1910Expanded in 1938 (12A), 1965 (12C), 1985 (12E), and 1984 (12F-Receiving Dock and 12G-Body Fabrication)
14SCentral Power House1920Demolished before 2000
15NFacilities Engineering1919
16NCentral Stores1909Demolished before 2000
16SBuick City Final Assembly1946Expanded in 1972 (16A) and 1985 (16B)
17SStorage1919Expanded in 1940 (17A, Truck Garage & Vehicle Storage)
18SParts Department and Paintbefore 1902Demolished before 2000
J2 (18)SStore Shedbefore 1921Demolished before 2000
18SPersonnel1975
19NHousing1919Demolished before 2000
20NIron Foundry1916Demolished before 2000
20NTransmission Machining and Subassemblies1942
21NCentral Tool Grinding and Heat Treat1917
22N Pyralin Storage1919Demolished before 2000
22NCompressor Station1942
23NHeat Treat1916–1920Demolished before 2000
23SFormer Tool Making & Heat Treat1945
24NMotor Block Test1920Demolished before 2000
24NNorth Fire Protection Pump House1970
25NTransformer House1920Demolished before 2000
26SBoiler and Gas House1907–1913Demolished before 2000
27NLiberty Engine Plant1912–1919Demolished before 2000
28SPowertrain Facility Support1918
29SFormer Tool Manufacturing1918
30NSpring Plant1918Expanded in 1946 (30A), 1954 (30B), 1964 (30C), 1965 (30D), 1967 (30E), and 1972 (30F)
31SAxle Assembly Plant1906Demolished before 2000
32SAxle Plant1907Demolished before 2000
32NPowertrain Components1966
33NHousing1912–1919Demolished before 2000
34SAxle Plant1909Demolished before 2000
35SAxle Plant1909Demolished before 2000
36SPower House1909Demolished before 2000
36NEngine Plant1952
37SAxle Plant1909Demolished before 2000
38SAxle Plant1908Demolished before 2000
38NNew Car Conditioning and Delivery, Warehousing, and Product Evaluation Program (PEP) Car Storage and Preparation1964
39SReceiving Shed for Axle Plant1909Demolished before 2000
40SBuick City Final Assembly1920
42STransformer House1920Demolished before 2000
43SKitchen1920Demolished before 2000
43NTransmission Plant1952
44NAuxiliary Power Plant1912–1919Demolished before 2000
44SBuick City Final Assembly Paint Shop1977
45NSand Storage1912–1919Demolished before 2000
46SParts Storage / Auxiliary Power Plantbefore 1919Demolished before 2000
47SSprinkler Valve Housebefore 1921Demolished before 2000
48SParts Storagebefore 1921Demolished before 2000
49SFormer Sawdust Vaultbefore 1921Demolished before 2000
50SDry Kiln1906–1916Demolished before 2000
51SBending Storage and Weldingbefore 1912Demolished before 2000
53STransformer House1918Demolished before 2000
54NHousing1912–1919Demolished before 2000
55SHeat Treat1912–1919Demolished before 2000
55NWaste Treatment1953Expanded in 1955 (55A) and 1972 (55B)
57NHousing1912–1919Demolished before 2000
58NRecord Storage1922–1927Demolished before 2000
59NAuxiliary Power Plant1922–1927Demolished before 2000
60SMain Pump Station1913Demolished before 2000
61NFacilities Engineering1923Expanded in 1944 (61A)
62SAssembly & Paint1923Demolished before 2000
63SDry Kiln1916Demolished before 2000
64SPickling Room1924Demolished before 2000
65SPersonnel1921Demolished before 2000
65NCompressor Station1957
66NCrankshaft Machine Shop1926Demolished before 2000
66NPowertrain Components1926Expanded in 1940 (66A and 66B), 1954 (66C), and 1966 (66D)
67NTransformer House1923Demolished before 2000
68NTransformer House1926Demolished before 2000
69NTorque Converter Plant1927Expanded in 1949 (Electrical Substation, 69A), 1951 (Compressor Station, 69B), and 1954 (69C)
70NTorque Converter Plant1927Expanded in 1945 (70A), 1954 (70B), and 1980 (70C)
71NTorque Converter Plant1926Expanded in 1944 (71A) and 1952 (71B)
72NTorque Converter Plant1927
73NTorque Converter PLant1927Expanded in 1945 (73A) and 1955 (73B)
74NTorque Converter Plant1927
76NCore Sand Knockout Building1926–1927Demolished before 2000
77NLaboratory1926–1927Demolished before 2000
78SEngineering & Experimental1927Demolished before 2000
79SStorage1922–1927Demolished before 2000
80SDie Storage1928Demolished before 2000
83NPowertrain Components1936Expanded in 1954 (83A)
84SPowertrain Components1939Expanded in 1978 (84A) and 1981 (84B)
85NFacilities Engineering1937
86NFacilities Engineering1937Expanded in 1952 (86A)
94STruck Repair Garage1941Expanded in 1945 (94A, Export Processing)
97NFire Department1943
99NConstruction Material Storage1985
100SNew Car Marshalling1983
—SA.C. Spark Plug Operations1928Demolished before 2000
—NFire Control Pumphouse2000

In pop culture

The Old 97s 2001 album Satellite Rides features the track "Buick City Complex".

Notes

  1. ↑ In Flint specifically, GM announced in November 1986 that two plants would be closed by the end of 1987:

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References

  1. ↑ "The Buick Automobile 1904-1909 & The Buick Motor Car Co".
  2. ↑ "BUICK FACTORY HISTORY". BUICK FACTORY HISTORY.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. (November 26, 2000). Description of Current conditions for Areas North of Leith Street (Report). General Motors Corporation, NAO-Flint Operations. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. (May 30, 2000). Description of Current conditions for Areas South of Leith Street (Report). Vol. I. General Motors Corporation, NAO-Flint Operations. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  5. ↑ Grenier, Melinda (May 27, 1983). "GM has a lot riding on its 'Buick City' strategy in Flint". The Deseret News. Detroit News. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  6. ↑ Moskal, Brian S. (1994). "The Wizards of Buick City". In Craig Eric Schneier; Craig J. Russell; Richard W. Beatty; Lloyd S. Baird (eds.). The training and development sourcebook (second ed.). Amherst, Massachusetts: Human Resource Development Press. pp. 451–455. ISBN   0-87425-247-4.
  7. ↑ Ross, Daniel Charles (December 1984). "Detroit Listening Post: Front-drive LeSabre". Popular Mechanics. p. 44. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "COMPANY NEWS: Quality Survey Has Buick Smiling" . The New York Times. June 6, 1989. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ Klein, Jim (September 29, 2022). "Curbside Recycling Showroom Special: 1989 Buick LeSabre Limited – Was This The Best Buick Ever Made?". Curbside Classic. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  10. ↑ Zverina, Jan A. (November 6, 1986). "General Motors Corp., in its largest wave of permanent job layoffs ever, said Thursday it will close 11 operations in four states by the end of the decade, idling about 29,000 workers". UPI Archives. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ Brown, Warren (November 7, 1986). "GM to Close 11 Plants in 4 States". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ Garber, Ken (January 1990). "Roger & Me: Moore Than Just a Movie!". Agenda. Retrieved October 24, 2023– via Ann Arbor Digital Library.
  13. ↑ Bergstrom, William S. (December 20, 1989). "'Roger & Me' Film on GM Layoffs a Hit at Home". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  14. ↑ "G.M. to Close Car Factory, Delivering Big Blow to Flint" . The New York Times. November 22, 1997. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  15. ↑ Hyde, Justin (July 4, 1999). "Flint 'Buick City' no more -- last Buicks made there roll off assembly line". The Herald Palladium. Associated Press. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  16. ↑ Garsten, Ed (June 29, 1999). "The Buick stops here". CNN. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  17. ↑ "J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Automotive Industry Improves 5 Percent Overall... -- re> AGOURA HILLS, Calif., May 5 /PRNewswire/ --". Archived from the original on February 4, 2016.
  18. ↑ Fonger, Ron (October 30, 2010). "Closing the doors: About 140 of the last Powertrain Flint North employees finish their last day at the historic complex". Flint Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ "American Cast Iron Pipe Co. plans construction start soon, 50-60 employees to open Flint plant". Mlive.com. November 14, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  20. ↑ US EPA, OLEM (March 3, 2017). "Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Buick City Facility - Flint, Michigan". US EPA.
  21. ↑ "Lear Opens $29M Plant On Part Of Flint's Former Buick City". WKAR Public Media. August 10, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Combined overall site map of General Motors Corporation owned property, City of Flint, Genesee County, Michigan" (PDF). Blasland, Bouck and Lee, Inc. July 24, 2001. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Buick City Site". RACER Trust. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  24. ↑ Seibt, Todd (March 13, 2004). "Historic auto factory closes: Facility incorporated GM's first plant". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2023.

Further reading

43°2′52.81″N83°41′5.41″W / 43.0480028°N 83.6848361°W / 43.0480028; -83.6848361

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