Magna expands its Michigan workforce after securing the GM Silverado EV contract

A major auto supplier, Magna International, was awarded the contract to provide the battery enclosures for the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup. 

Battery enclosures, which store high-voltage batteries, electrical parts, sensors, and connectors, are necessary for all EVs. They shield the vital battery parts from damage, heat, and moisture.

This project is anticipated to generate hundreds of new employment in Michigan and the production is set to occur at the enclosures in St. Clair, IL. Which is the same place it currently makes battery enclosures for the GMC Hummer EV pickup. But later this year, the Silverado enclosure will be produced. 

According to Tracy Fuerst, vice president of Magna corporate relations, with the new Silverado EV business and the Hummer EV contract, Magna’s St. Clair factory is expected to grow from 300 personnel to 1,200 jobs when it achieves full capacity over the next couple of years.

According to John O’Hara, president of Magna’s body and chassis group, “the quickening trend toward vehicle electrification opens up growth beyond powertrains. We were able to use our experience to supply battery enclosures, a product with significant future potential.”

In order to accommodate the future growth of EVs, Magna said in October that it will invest $426 million to expand the St. Clair factory that it opened two years ago. The 345,000 square foot facility’s 740,000 square foot extension is currently being built by Magna.

Magna claims to have 348 facilities worldwide and that its consolidated sales for 2022 totaled $37.8 billion, up 4% from the previous year. It manufactures a range of auto parts, including the power train, body, and exteriors. Magna, the largest auto supplier in North America, employs over 11,500 people in Michigan and provides components to all the major automakers.

Beginning later this year, GM will construct the Silverado EV at Factory Zero, which sits on the border of Hamtramck and Detroit. At Factory Zero, GM currently produces the Hummer EV and the Hummer SUV.

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