DETROIT—General Motors plans to invest $71 million in two Ohio manufacturing facilities, including $39 million at its Toledo transmission plant and $32 million at its Defiance casting plant. Work will begin immediately at the two locations. These investments will enable GM to retain 240 U.S. manufacturing jobs.

The Toledo investment will be used to upgrade and enhance production of GM’s eight-speed rear-wheel-drive transmission, and the Defiance investment will be used to prepare the facility for future engine casting components work.

GM has invested more than $3.3 billion in Ohio since 2009.

Separately, GM and LG Chem formed a joint venture—Ultium Cells LLC—and together are investing more than $2.3 billion to build a new, state-of-the-art battery cell manufacturing plant in Lordstown, OH, that will create more than 1,100 new jobs. Construction of the facility is underway. The new battery cell manufacturing plant will play a critical role in GM’s commitment to an all-electric future.

In addition, GM has been working closely with Lordstown Motors Corp. since May 2019 to support the launch of its Endurance pickup. GM is investing $75 million in the company, which includes the sale of the former Lordstown assembly plant and production equipment.

Toledo Transmission Operations opened in 1916. Plant employees produced truck transfer cases and transmissions for four- and six-wheel-drive military trucks throughout World War II. Today, about 1,700 workers assemble GM’s six-speed, eight-speed, and ten-speed rear-wheel-drive transmissions and nine-speed front-wheel-drive transmissions that are used in a variety of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.

Defiance Casting Operations opened in 1948 and currently employs about 580 employees. The first iron was poured at the facility on Aug. 23, 1948. Today, these workers manufacture cylinder block and cylinder head castings for inline-four, V-6 and V-8 engines used in a variety of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles.