Various dignitaries assembled on the platform for a photo opportunity Friday when GM and DMAX announced plans for a $920 million expansion. In addition to the speakers, those attending included Brookville Mayor Chuck Letner (third from left), State Rep Phil Plummer (center – hands folded) standing next to Brookville City Manager Sonja Keaton, council members, City Law Director Rod Stephan, and various officials from DMAX and the IUE-CWA union offices.
Photos Kay Dawson | For The Register-Herald
A Duramax engine produced by DMAX.
A group of engine blocks await shipment to the DMAX plant in Moraine.
BROOKVILLE — DMAX and GM officials announced Friday plans for a $920 million expansion at the site of the Brookville plant, 101 W. Campus Blvd.
The announcement opened with a moment of silence in memory of Jeffrey Allen, the employee at the Moraine plant who was shot and killed at the plant last month.
Mike Trevorrow, vice president of GM North America, said construction will begin immediately and will add 1.1 million square feet to the current facility, making a total of 1.35 million square feet for the Brookville plant.
“Actually,” he said, “I think we’ve started moving some dirt already.”
DMAX makes Duramax engine parts for GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks, as well as for heavy- and medium-duty work trucks. The items manufactured at Brookville are sent to the Moraine plant. Officials said this will continue.
Eventually, the Brookville plant will add 714 employees to the 100 that work there now.
Brookville Mayor Chuck Letner said that while DMAX has a tax abatement package from the city, the expansion will greatly increase the income tax revenue for the city.
Speakers, besides Letner and Trevorrow, included Carl Kennebrew, president of International IUE-CWA, Paul Tanis, the Brookville plant director and Chris Gross, the chairperson of IUE-CWA Local 755.
Trevorrow said last year the company increased production by 288,000 trucks, a 30 percent improvement and thanked DMAX for its part in this.
“There’s no doubt Americans love our trucks. There’s still demand for our heavy-duty trucks, so the more motors we can get, the more vehicles we can build,” Trevorrow said. “GM would not make such a great investment without great trust in our workforce.”
He also said that DMAX, formerly a joint venture between GM and Isuzu, was not a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors.
This is the third GM investment in the state of Ohio in 10 months, officials pointed out, with investments last year in Toledo and Defiance.
This is a $1.7 billion dollar commitment to Ohio,” Trevorrow said.
He also said the company had flexibility.
“We can tune up on the ICE (internal combustion engines). When they start turning to EV (electric vehicles), we’ll be able to give them EVs. It’s a good day for DMAX. The City of Brookville, Montgomery County and the Dayton-Montgomery Port Authority, in addition to others, all provided critical support to help make this happen.”
Letner said Brookville’s slogan is, “Proud and Progressive and today we are both. It’s an exciting day for Brookville.”
He said Rod Stephan, the city law director, and city manager/finance officer Sonja Keaton were very instrumental in making the development happen “and had many sleepless nights to make this work.”
Paul Tanis, Brookville’s plant director, congratulated the entire DMAX work force for their work.
