The General Motors Oshawa Assembly Plant Receives the Prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award

OSHAWA, Ontario, Sept. 26, 2008 - The prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award was presented to the General Motors Oshawa Car Assembly Plant and members of CAW Local 222 for its long-standing commitment to producing high-quality vehicles.

Gary Dilts, senior vice president of the U.S. automotive practice at J.D. Power and Associates, presented Dan Hermer, Oshawa Car Assembly Plant manager and Chris Buckley, Local 222 President, with the award on behalf of J.D. Power and Associates. The award was presented today at an award ceremony held at the General Motors Oshawa Car Plant/Stamping Facility in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

"In recognition of its long history of producing vehicles of excellent quality, J.D. Power and Associates is pleased to present GM's Oshawa Assembly Plant with a Founder's Award," said Dilts. "During the past seven years, the General Motors Oshawa Plant has received four Gold and two Silver Awards for plant quality in North America in the annual J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study. This is far more awards than any other plant has received in the region over this period, and is a testament to the hard work of all GM employees at the facility as well as to GM management and suppliers."

The Founder's Award is a discretionary award presented at various times by J.D. Power and Associates to recognize individuals or companies that demonstrate dedication, commitment and sustained improvement in serving customers. In the 40-year history of J.D. Power and Associates, only 22 companies or individuals have previously received the award.

The Oshawa Car Assembly Plant is one of the largest automotive production sites in the world, responsible for the production of various General Motors models during the past 55 years. The plant has received multiple J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study awards including: Gold Plant awards in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006; as well as Silver Plant awards in 2005 and 2007. In addition, the plant has produced several vehicle models that have received Initial Quality Study awards, including the Pontiac Grand Prix, the Buick Century and the Chevrolet Lumina.

The facility has more than 8 million square feet of factory floor and more than 4,800 employees. The plant currently produces the Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse (known as the Buick Allure in the Canadian market). Oshawa Car Assembly will begin production of the new Chevrolet Camaro in late 2008 on its new Flex Line.