Report: GM to increase production, add jobs at Fort Wayne plant

General Motors is looking to boost production of pickup trucks and add up to 250 jobs at its Fort Wayne Assembly plant, according to a report Thursday by Reuters.

The report came the same day as President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on auto imports from Canada and Mexico took effect.

The Fort Wayne plant produces the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks, with about 1,300 units produced each day, according to the automaker’s website. The plant employs about 4,100 people.

Reuters reports that a letter sent to United Auto Workers Local 2209 members by local shop chairman Rich LeTourneau said 225 to 250 jobs will be added as a result of GM’s move.

In an email to Inside INdiana Business, a spokesperson for GM would only say that the company plans to add temporary workers to its Fort Wayne operation.

“General Motors will be making operational adjustments at Fort Wayne Assembly, including hiring temporary employees, to support current manufacturing and business needs,” the spokesperson said. “We continuously update and revise production schedules as part of our standard process of evaluating and aligning to manage vehicle inventory.”

The spokesperson declined to state whether the temporary jobs could eventually turn into permanent positions. LeTourneau did not respond to a request for comment from IIB.

Reuters also cites a source at GM, who said several hundred temporary workers will be hired at the plant, and the facility will be shut down from April 22-25 to make the necessary changes to accommodate the increase in production. When asked about those plans, the GM spokesperson only said it was “planned downtime” for the plant.

Earlier on Thursday, global automaker Stellantis announced it would pause production at two assembly plants in Canada and Mexico. As a result, about 900 employees at five U.S. production facilities, including three in Kokomo, would be temporarily laid off.