GM to spend $1 bn in Warren Technical Centre

US auto giant General Motors Co plans to invest $1 billion in its engineering and design hub Warren Technical Centre, in the suburbs of Detroit, to support innovation and future business growth.

The multi-year project involves construction of new design studios, information-technology (IT) building, renovations and expansion of operations.

The work at the centre, which is a national historic landmark site, will begin this month and continue through 2018.

GM executive vice president Mark Reuss said in a statement, ''This is an investment in our people who work at the tech center because it is to position the company for long term growth by enabling new levels of innovation and collaboration into our workplace.''

The company said that it will renovate most of the existing buildings for "improving the work environment for all campus functions." It also plans more testing areas in its advanced energy center.

The investment is expected to create around 2,600 new jobs in core areas of product engineering, IT and design to support future growth. Currently the Warren centre employs over 19,000 people.

''This is great news for Warren, the region and our state-it soundly demonstrates GM's commitment to Michigan and our talented workforce, providing key jobs and career opportunities for today and tomorrow,'' the state's governor Rick Snyder said.

Detroit-based GM produces cars in 30 countries across the globe, and along with its subsidiaries and joint ventures sells vehicles under various brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall etc.

GM's Warren Technical Centre which covers a 326-acre area was opened in 1956 and was named a national historic landmark in 2014 by the department of the interior and the national park service.

The facilities designed by famed Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen is also honoured as the most outstanding architectural project of its era.

About a fortnight ago, the car maker announced around $140 million for body shop and stamping facility upgrades at the Warren pre-production operations.

The amount is part of the company's $5.4-billion investment plan in the US to upgrade and modernise its workforce and facilities post the 2008 financial crisis that led it into bankruptcy the following year.

The company's Canadian subsidiary GM Canada announced a fortnight ago that it would cut around 1,000 jobs at its Oshawa assembly plant in Ontario and stop the production of Chevrolet Camaro in November.

The announcement came just two days after the car maker said that it would hire about 100 software professionals at its R&D centre in Oshawa to develop environmentally friendly communication technologies for its cars.