GM trainees prepare for Camaro launch

LANSING – The gears of the mock assembly line screeched to life, sending plywood cars toward the 28 trainees at the General Motors’ Lansing Grand River Assembly plant.

The sound of power drills echoed in the simulation room as trainees put on and took off wooden bumpers, headlights and steering wheels in a never-ending circle.

For two 10-minute rounds, they were expected to assemble and deconstruct 18 flawless cars for imaginary awaiting customers. That’s just over a minute per car. They made 15 vehicles, of which 14 had defects.

No one wanted to pull the stop line for help.

“Not everyone wants to pull the cord, but their problems will get bigger if they don’t,” said Jason Smith, a team leader for the trainees. The exercise was meant to teach them that.

These trainees are the last of 450 new employees brought on to work second shift at the plant in preparation for the launch of the 2016 Camaro.

The second shift was cut in January. It will return after final training and orientation in the next week or so. GM has recalled the laid off employees, who either went to the Delta Township plant or Flint plant.

For the past few days, new employees have attended classes and participated on the simulation line to prepare them for the real one, where mistakes can’t be made.

“When you get out on the floor, you’re working on $70,000 to $100,000 cars,” said Jim Caplis, an engineer who instructed the class. “You don’t want to be practicing on them.”

The 2016 Camaro is in preproduction now, as models are being made for crash tests and test drives within the company. But, by the fall, they will hit the dealership floors at a suggested price of $26,695 or $37,295 depending on the model.

“When I first started here, we didn’t have training,” said Smith, who has worked at the plant for 16 years. “They stuck you on the floor and had you fend for yourself. Today, you are more prepared for the job.”

Traci Potter’s first few times on the simulated line were enjoyable. She assembled headlights and tail lights.

“At Magna Powertrain, we were given 45 seconds to put on a whole part of a car,” said Potter, of Holt, who started training on Monday. “So I can deal with this. It was fun.”

Chris Frosty, of Corunna, had worked at a few car dealerships before but jumped at the chance when he heard second shift was returning to the plant.

“The fact that they are bringing Camaro production to Lansing says a lot about (this plant) and its employees,” said Frosty, who was hired in June. “It shows that the auto industry is good and it’s going to keep growing.”

Contact Alexander Alusheff at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.