General Motors is putting 600 laid-off auto workers back to work at two factories in Canada. The re-hiring is part of an effort to build more Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossover models. The factories are located in Ingersoll and Oshawa, and 70 additional employees will be hired at Ingersoll.
GM plans to add equipment and reconfigure the Ingersoll plant’s body shop. This year, GM has sold 17,574 Equinoxes and 8,091 Terrains. Equinox sales are up 98 percent from last year.
Mark Reuss, GM’s North American president, said the plan “allows us to meet customer demand for hot products while avoiding a potential production overcapacity.”
GM was loath to re-open factories, as factory overcapacity was a main reason the company sought bankruptcy protection last year.
