FILE PHOTO: A door steel and aluminum door is welded at GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S., July 25, 2018. Picture taken on July 25, 2018. REUTERS/John Gress

(Reuters) - General Motors Co said on Thursday it would invest $24 million to increase truck production at its assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which makes Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models.

"We are building Chevrolet and GMC crew cab pickups at record volume and mix levels to meet customer demand and the $24 million investment will allow us to build even more," said here Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra.

American customers have been abandoning traditional passenger cars in favor of more comfortable SUVs, although demand in recent quarters has been weak for the more popular larger vehicles.

The investment will boost the plant’s conveyors and other tooling to support the increased production, the company said.

GM said it has invested more than $1.2 billion in the plant since 2015.