GM And Isuzu Building Diesel Engine Components Plant In Ohio For HD Pickups

General Motors and Isuzu have announced they will build an all-new diesel engine components plant in Brookville, Ohio.

The two carmakers will invest $175 million through their DMAX joint venture (60 percent owned by GM and 40 percent by Isuzu Diesel Services of America) to build a new 251,000 sq-ft (23,319 sq-m) facility. The new plant will create more than 100 jobs and will expand the production of engine blocks and cylinder heads.

The first precision-machined components will be supplied to the main DMAX diesel engine manufacturing operation in Moraine, Ohio starting in late 2020. Preliminary work has already begun at the site, with construction expected to be completed by the end of next year.

Related: Lordstown Motors Buys GM’s Ohio Plant, Wants To Build “Endurance” Electric Truck From 2020

The decision to invest in a new production facility was made due to strong demand for the all-new 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickup trucks.

“Strong demand for GM’s all-new family of Chevrolet and GMC heavy and medium duty pickups is driving us to find ways to build more Duramax diesel engines,” said Gerald Johnson, GM’s executive vice president of Global Manufacturing. “The Brookville investment will enable us to machine more engine blocks and heads and ultimately enable our DMAX engine plant in Moraine to build more 6.6-liter diesel engines for our Flint truck assembly plant.”

Heavy-duty trucks make up about 25 percent of full-size pickup sales in the United States and the all-new Silverado and Sierra HDs are the segment’s best-selling models. GM has already consolidated heavy-duty pickup production at its Flint, Michigan truck assembly plant earlier this year. The company installed new body and paint shops and created 1,000 new jobs, with the upgrades supporting a capacity increase of 40,000 units compared to the outgoing model.

Unveiled in February, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HD pickups began arriving at dealers in July. GM said it will build dealer inventory levels through the first half of 2020, sharply increasing production of crew cab and diesel models to meet growing demand.