Baltimore Transmission Explained
Baltimore Transmission, also known as Baltimore Operations, was a General Motors transmission factory in White Marsh, Maryland, United States. It is located at 10301 Philadelphia Road and operated from December 2000 to May 2019, producing transmissions used in full-size pickup trucks as well as electric motors. The property has been purchased for office and industrial redevelopment.
History
In May 1999, the plant was announced to be located on a former sand and gravel quarry, operated from the 1930s to the 1990s, near the White Marsh Mall.[1] GM's Allison Transmission division received millions of dollars in economic incentives from the state of Maryland and Baltimore County as part of luring the facility to White Marsh.[2] The first phase of the plant, a $202 million investment, opened in December 2000 and was officially dedicated on March 30, 2001; however, GM stalled on plans it had initially made to double the facility's size soon after opening.[3]
In 2007, after a $118 million upgrade, Baltimore Transmission began to produce two-mode hybrid transmissions for 2008 model year Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids using the first transmission of this type developed in the United States.[4] By 2009, the plant had 200 hourly and 40 salaried employees.[5] In 2013, a new section of the facility began to produce electric motors for the Chevrolet Spark, after a $121 million investment by GM matched by $105 million from the United States Department of Energy.[6]
GM announced in October 2019 that it would permanently close the factory, producing transmissions for full-size pickups,[7] as part of an agreement with the United Auto Workers to end a strike by the union. It had already idled the facility, laying off nearly 300 employees, and four others under plans announced the previous year.[8] It was GM's last plant in Maryland, after Baltimore Assembly on Broening Highway closed in 2005.[9] Half of the workers transferred to GM plants in other parts of the United States; the other half either retired or quit.
In 2021, the plant site was purchased by Merritt Properties for redevelopment as nine new one-story buildings containing about 750000ft2 of office and warehouse space,[10] replacing the existing 471000ft2 transmission factory.[11]
External links
39.3717°N -76.44°W
Notes and References
- News: GM plant planned in Balto. Co.: Truck transmissions would be built near White Marsh Mall. May 20, 1999. 1A, 8A. Jay. Apperson. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. Newspapers.com. May 16, 2022. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203441/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101976490/gm-plant-planned-in-balto-co-truck/. live.
- News: State, county package lured GM factory. May 21, 1999. 1D, 8D. Jay. Apperson. Ted. Shelsby. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. Newspapers.com. May 16, 2022. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203409/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101976865/state-county-package-lured-gm-factory/. live.
- News: GM hedges on expanding Allison plant. March 31, 2001. 11C, 18C. Ted. Shelsby. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. Newspapers.com. May 16, 2022. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203407/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101977321/gm-hedges-on-expanding-allison-plant/. live.
- News: GM plant in Md. produces hybrid transmission systems. October 31, 2007. A10. Ken. Thomas. Associated Press. The Star-Democrat. Easton, Maryland. Newspapers.com. May 16, 2022. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203425/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101976280/gm-plant-in-md-produces-hybrid/. live.
- News: GM shutdown: White Marsh transmission plant to close 4–8 weeks. April 24, 2009. 16. Andrea K.. Walker. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. Newspapers.com. May 16, 2022. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203442/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101976329/gm-shutdown-white-marsh-transmission/. live.
- News: GM unveils electric motor in White Marsh. April 17, 2013. 1, 14. Jamie. Smith Hopkins. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. Newspapers.com. May 16, 2022. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203405/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101978204/gm-unveils-electric-motor-in-white-marsh/. live.
- News: Isaacs . Abby . 2018-11-26 . GM is slashing 14,700 jobs in North America; 310 from White Marsh . en . WMAR-TV . 2022-05-16 . November 27, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181127114452/https://www.wmar2news.com/news/region/baltimore-county/gm-is-slashing-14700-jobs-in-north-america-310-from-white-marsh . live .
- News: Krisher . Tom . November 26, 2018 . GM to lay off up to 14K workers, close as many as 5 plants . en . Associated Press . May 16, 2022 . June 15, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210615020342/https://apnews.com/article/north-america-ap-top-news-mi-state-wire-detroit-oh-state-wire-3e51216360e14053ae3e4b3461db615b . live .
- News: Mirabella . Lorraine . October 18, 2019 . Closure of General Motors' White Marsh plant is official, local union officials told . en . . 2022-05-16 . June 23, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210623021812/https://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-general-motors-white-marsh-plant-closure-20191018-nuxgner3pzgwlcdnlgn6nnzq7q-story.html . live .
- News: Montcalmo . Chris . 2021-03-24 . Merritt Properties acquires former General Motors facility in White Marsh . en-US . NottinghamMD.com . 2022-05-16 . October 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211026010336/https://www.nottinghammd.com/2021/03/24/merritt-properties-acquires-former-general-motors-facility-in-white-marsh/ . live .
- News: Simmons . Melody . November 28, 2018 . GM's 65-acre plant in White Marsh already drawing interest among developers . Baltimore Business Journal . 2022-05-16 . May 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516203456/https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2018/11/28/gms-65-acre-plant-in-white-marsh-already-drawing.html . live .
