Wikipedia

Buick City

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]

Buick City
The Buick Motor Works in 1907
Map
Built1904
Operated1904–1999
LocationFlint, Michigan
Coordinates43°02′53″N 83°41′05″W / 43.048°N 83.68483°W / 43.048; -83.68483
IndustryAutomotive
ProductsLittle and Buick automobiles
Area235-acre (950,000 m2)
AddressLeith St.
Owner(s)Flint Wagon (1904–1911)
General Motors (1911–2010)
DefunctJune 1999; 25 years ago (1999-06)

History

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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

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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

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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"

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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

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At the end of 1986, General Motors announced that 11 manufacturing plants would be closed by 1989;[a][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

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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

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500m
550yds
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11
 
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9
 
8
 
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6
 
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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

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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 
Bldg Site Name Built Notes
01 S Transmission Plant 1906 Demolished before 2000
01 S Administration 1968
02 S Former Plastics Plant 1917 Expanded in 1943 (02A) and 1979 (02C) for Material Handling Storage
03 S Drop Forge 1908 Demolished before 2000
03 S Car Loading/Rail Shipping 1965
04 S Body Plant before 1906 Demolished before 2000
04 S Buick City Assembly 1947
05 S Enameling 1914 Demolished before 2000
05 S South Primary Substation 1967
06 S Assembly 1907 Demolished before 2000
06 N North Primary Substation 1967
07 S Main Office and Administration 1917 Demolished before 2000
07 N Powerhouse 1973, 1983
08 S Laboratory and Garage 1908 Demolished before 2000
08 S Buick City Final Assembly 1972
09 S Fueling Station 1919 Demolished before 2000
09 S Facilities Engineering 1977
10 S Assembly 1909 Demolished before 2000
10 S Car Marshalling - Repair & Shipping 1978
11 N Powertrain Components 1909
12 S Buick City Final Assembly 1910 Expanded in 1938 (12A), 1965 (12C), 1985 (12E), and 1984 (12F-Receiving Dock and 12G-Body Fabrication)
14 S Central Power House 1920 Demolished before 2000
15 N Facilities Engineering 1919
16 N Central Stores 1909 Demolished before 2000
16 S Buick City Final Assembly 1946 Expanded in 1972 (16A) and 1985 (16B)
17 S Storage 1919 Expanded in 1940 (17A, Truck Garage & Vehicle Storage)
18 S Parts Department and Paint before 1902 Demolished before 2000
J2 (18) S Store Shed before 1921 Demolished before 2000
18 S Personnel 1975
19 N Housing 1919 Demolished before 2000
20 N Iron Foundry 1916 Demolished before 2000
20 N Transmission Machining and Subassemblies 1942
21 N Central Tool Grinding and Heat Treat 1917
22 N Pyralin Storage 1919 Demolished before 2000
22 N Compressor Station 1942
23 N Heat Treat 1916–1920 Demolished before 2000
23 S Former Tool Making & Heat Treat 1945
24 N Motor Block Test 1920 Demolished before 2000
24 N North Fire Protection Pump House 1970
25 N Transformer House 1920 Demolished before 2000
26 S Boiler and Gas House 1907–1913 Demolished before 2000
27 N Liberty Engine Plant 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
28 S Powertrain Facility Support 1918
29 S Former Tool Manufacturing 1918
30 N Spring Plant 1918 Expanded in 1946 (30A), 1954 (30B), 1964 (30C), 1965 (30D), 1967 (30E), and 1972 (30F)
31 S Axle Assembly Plant 1906 Demolished before 2000
32 S Axle Plant 1907 Demolished before 2000
32 N Powertrain Components 1966
33 N Housing 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
34 S Axle Plant 1909 Demolished before 2000
35 S Axle Plant 1909 Demolished before 2000
36 S Power House 1909 Demolished before 2000
36 N Engine Plant 1952
37 S Axle Plant 1909 Demolished before 2000
38 S Axle Plant 1908 Demolished before 2000
38 N New Car Conditioning and Delivery, Warehousing, and Product Evaluation Program (PEP) Car Storage and Preparation 1964
39 S Receiving Shed for Axle Plant 1909 Demolished before 2000
40 S Buick City Final Assembly 1920
42 S Transformer House 1920 Demolished before 2000
43 S Kitchen 1920 Demolished before 2000
43 N Transmission Plant 1952
44 N Auxiliary Power Plant 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
44 S Buick City Final Assembly Paint Shop 1977
45 N Sand Storage 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
46 S Parts Storage / Auxiliary Power Plant before 1919 Demolished before 2000
47 S Sprinkler Valve House before 1921 Demolished before 2000
48 S Parts Storage before 1921 Demolished before 2000
49 S Former Sawdust Vault before 1921 Demolished before 2000
50 S Dry Kiln 1906–1916 Demolished before 2000
51 S Bending Storage and Welding before 1912 Demolished before 2000
53 S Transformer House 1918 Demolished before 2000
54 N Housing 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
55 S Heat Treat 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
55 N Waste Treatment 1953 Expanded in 1955 (55A) and 1972 (55B)
57 N Housing 1912–1919 Demolished before 2000
58 N Record Storage 1922–1927 Demolished before 2000
59 N Auxiliary Power Plant 1922–1927 Demolished before 2000
60 S Main Pump Station 1913 Demolished before 2000
61 N Facilities Engineering 1923 Expanded in 1944 (61A)
62 S Assembly & Paint 1923 Demolished before 2000
63 S Dry Kiln 1916 Demolished before 2000
64 S Pickling Room 1924 Demolished before 2000
65 S Personnel 1921 Demolished before 2000
65 N Compressor Station 1957
66 N Crankshaft Machine Shop 1926 Demolished before 2000
66 N Powertrain Components 1926 Expanded in 1940 (66A and 66B), 1954 (66C), and 1966 (66D)
67 N Transformer House 1923 Demolished before 2000
68 N Transformer House 1926 Demolished before 2000
69 N Torque Converter Plant 1927 Expanded in 1949 (Electrical Substation, 69A), 1951 (Compressor Station, 69B), and 1954 (69C)
70 N Torque Converter Plant 1927 Expanded in 1945 (70A), 1954 (70B), and 1980 (70C)
71 N Torque Converter Plant 1926 Expanded in 1944 (71A) and 1952 (71B)
72 N Torque Converter Plant 1927
73 N Torque Converter PLant 1927 Expanded in 1945 (73A) and 1955 (73B)
74 N Torque Converter Plant 1927
76 N Core Sand Knockout Building 1926–1927 Demolished before 2000
77 N Laboratory 1926–1927 Demolished before 2000
78 S Engineering & Experimental 1927 Demolished before 2000
79 S Storage 1922–1927 Demolished before 2000
80 S Die Storage 1928 Demolished before 2000
83 N Powertrain Components 1936 Expanded in 1954 (83A)
84 S Powertrain Components 1939 Expanded in 1978 (84A) and 1981 (84B)
85 N Facilities Engineering 1937
86 N Facilities Engineering 1937 Expanded in 1952 (86A)
94 S Truck Repair Garage 1941 Expanded in 1945 (94A, Export Processing)
97 N Fire Department 1943
99 N Construction Material Storage 1985
100 S New Car Marshalling 1983
— S A.C. Spark Plug Operations 1928 Demolished before 2000
— N Fire Control Pumphouse 2000

In pop culture

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

Notes

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

References

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  1. ^ "The Buick Automobile 1904-1909 & The Buick Motor Car Co".
  2. ^ "BUICK FACTORY HISTORY". BUICK FACTORY HISTORY.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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

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43°2′52.81″N 83°41′5.41″W / 43.0480028°N 83.6848361°W / 43.0480028; -83.6848361

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