Later today, Louisiana’s Economic Development Secretary plans to announce that a former supplier plant near Monroe, Louisiana, in Ouachita Parish, will be converted to a new car assembly plant set to employ about 1,400 people. Though the involved automaker is not known, reports suggest that high-efficiency gas-powered cars will be built at the plant, not electric cars.
Louisiana’s governor, Bobby Jindal, will also visit the area for the announcement, which is expected within a few hours. The state’s economic development fund was tapped to lure the unannounced automaker to the Bayou State.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the automaker will double the size of the former Delphi plant from 425,000 square feet to nearly 1 million. Construction will take about 15 months, reports the News Star.
The plant had been owned by Delphi, but before that supplier split off from General Motors, the facility was spun off as the independent Guide Corporation. It built lighting fixtures for new cars until 2007, when its assets were put up for auction, according to Automotive News. Now owned by Louisiana businessman James Davison, the project acquired about $15 million in local funding – in addition to the state funding – and is backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalists Ray Lane and John Doerr.
Located about 90 minutes from GM’s Shreveport Assembly, which builds the Hummer H3, the two plants were intricately tied together until 2007. It is not believed that the Detroit automaker, nor Hummer’s new Chinese buyer, has a hand in the new Louisiana plant, however.
06/17, 9:39 AM
posted by:
bigs4610
Though the involved automaker is not known, reports suggest that high-efficiency gas-powered cars will be built at the plant, not electric cars.
hahahaha
06/17, 9:45 AM
posted by:
Madcapp
Wonder if Bobby Jindal worked out something with Tata.
06/17, 9:59 AM
posted by:
shane train
Bobby Jindal, ewwww.
06/17, 10:12 AM
posted by:
Bimmer
And why picture shows Commodore/G8/Lumina as it’s not known for being ‘high-efficiency gas-powered cars’?
06/17, 10:29 AM
posted by:
Borat
Mu guess it will exclude union participation: why go to South if there are plenty of available factories being closed up north and available for asking. Ergo, domestics are out. Toyota already called locals retards, they are out. Honda makes more cars then it can sell. That leaves Hyundai (kia). Any thoughts?
06/17, 11:08 AM
posted by:
pavlindrom
The only manufacturers that make gas-powered cars are European, and those aren’t doing that great. Maybe VW?
06/17, 11:09 AM
posted by:
pavlindrom
Excuse me, the only manufacturers that make gas-powered cars and I know of it… I don’t know of the ones I don’t know about.
06/17, 11:26 AM
posted by:
wbent
I think Borat may be onto something with the Korean’s or Indians, don’t forget Mahindra. Didn’t we see a story that Tata was going to supply Fiat/Chrysler with the Nano? I don’t entirely think Ford is out of the mix although it is doubtful, the Transit, Feista, KA or?
06/17, 11:31 AM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Yugo is making a comeback!
06/17, 11:32 AM
posted by:
ahnuconun
This is the thing that pisses me off about people that don’t use the language properly… Does the author mean gasoline, hydrogen, natural gas, what?
My bet, if it is a gasoline-powered car, is that it’s Volkswagen. Starting about two years ago (before I left working for the brand a year ago) they’ve been talking about opening a manufacturing facility in the US to built cheap affordable North American-specific models since they figured out that their current offerings are “over-engineered” for our markets (tell that to the folks that bought a Jetta and are having problems with it).
06/17, 11:33 AM
posted by:
JakeK66
LLN, don’t tease us with the G8 picture, most of us are still pretty upset as it is…
shane train – STFU, if you can’t say something that’s relevent to the story, or about hockey/beer, don’t say anything!
06/17, 11:46 AM
posted by:
A4
All I have to say, ahnuconun, is that I’m glad the GTI is still built in Wolfsburg.
06/17, 11:49 AM
posted by:
DenverGuy217
Introducing the American-made CaCa Nano. Lord help us………………….. Time to buy a Segway
06/17, 11:56 AM
posted by:
Kid Icarus
Mahindra is a very good guess….that way they can get around the tariffs imposed on imported trucks by building the new diesel powered 4-cylinder Appalachian pickup on US soil.
06/17, 11:58 AM
posted by:
Kid Icarus
I highly doubt it will be Hyundai/Kia as Hyundai has a new plant in Alabama and Kia is opening a brand new state of the art plant this fall in West Point, Georgia
06/17, 12:01 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
ahnuconun- Over engineered for our markets? Boy, hearing that gets me pissed…
LLN, do you mean natural gas, regular gasoline, etc?!
Anyways, I hope it isn’t Volkswagen. I doubt it would be Saturn and Penske, but it could be as plans have been on the table for months that we probably don’t know too much about. That would be pretty cool to hear about, but I doubt it.
06/17, 12:06 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
In Louisiana these are probably high efficiency SWAMP-GAS powered vehicles.
06/17, 12:15 PM
posted by:
A4
that wasnt one of your finest mayer.
06/17, 12:16 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
It’s the Klingons. Apparently Cajun cooking reminds them a lot of home.
06/17, 12:18 PM
posted by:
CajuRican
From a twitter comment on The News Star Site:
Company name confirmed: V-vehicle Co for former Guide plant in Monroe.
Never heard of them.
06/17, 12:25 PM
posted by:
mulletmaster
Caju,
Apparently it is the company that will “transform the auto industry” based on the sponsored link on google
http://www.ledlouisiana.com/news–multimedia/news-releases/new-american-car-company-will-make-history-in-louisiana.aspx
06/17, 12:33 PM
posted by:
CajuRican
I’m happy for my home state, obviously, but I hope this isn’t all pie-in-the-sky, rose-colored glasses thinking here.
06/17, 12:48 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Cajun flattus gas?
That better? Or maybe New Orleans dumpster-juice gas. Ahhhh.
06/17, 12:56 PM
posted by:
elviososa
Chery from China???
06/17, 2:02 PM
posted by:
spg900
CHINESE HUMMERS !
06/17, 6:19 PM
posted by:
BenzMan83
That back light looks very familiar. looks like a Chrysler, G8 Impala. I want to know more.
06/17, 10:35 PM
posted by:
bovader
It’s not VW. They are well into building their plant in Chattanooga, TN. No idea who this one is.
06/17, 10:42 PM
posted by:
Kaizen
V-Vehicle.
06/23, 7:48 PM
posted by:
BenzMan83
could it be the new Chevy Volt?