[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 100 (Thursday, July 21, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF GM POWERTRAIN FLINT NORTH

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                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 21, 2005

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise before you today 
to ask my colleagues in the 109th Congress to join me in celebrating a 
milestone happening in my hometown of Flint, Michigan. On Thursday, 
July 21, civic and community leaders will join General Motors and the 
United Auto Workers to commemorate the 100th anniversary of GM's 
Powertrain Flint North plant.
  Originally a tract of farmland owned by the Durant-Dort Carriage 
Company, William Crapo Durant and J. Dallas Dort used the site to 
create a network of factories with the intention of maintaining all 
aspects of carriage production in close proximity. This network was the 
basis on which General Motors was formed. On September 4, 1905, a 
construction contract was signed for the creation of Buick Factory 1, 
and the company broke ground on November 1 that same year. Other 
factories followed, including the Weston-Mott Axle Factory and the 
Imperial Wheel Building, among many others that added to the history of 
General Motors, and the City of Flint.
  The Buick site, where my father worked, became one of America's 
greatest contributors during both World Wars, producing many engines 
and parts used by the United States and the Allied Forces. Following 
World War II, the site experienced a period of growth and prosperity, 
with the development of new onsite foundries and factories, as well as 
several administrative and support buildings. The site was also home to 
Buick City, a multi-million dollar manufacturing project that garnered 
international attention. Today, under the name of GM Powertrain Flint 
North, the site remains home to four factories, five support buildings, 
a Cultural and Diversity Center, and the dedicated men and women of UAW 
Local 599, which has represented its members for 66 years.
  Mr. Speaker, Flint, Michigan is still known to many as ``Buick 
City.'' This name signifies the level of pride GM employees, UAW 
members, and Flint residents have in the Buick name, their product, and 
the community in which they have invested much of their lives. I have a 
personal reason to be proud of Powertrain Flint North's centennial; my 
father was a founding member of Local 599, joining the UAW in the 
1930's. From my own family's experience, I know the impact the site's 
presence has made in the quality of life for many Flint households. As 
the Member of Congress representing the City of Flint, home of 
Powertrain Flint North and as the proud owner of a Buick LeSabre, I 
again ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating General Motors and 
the UAW.

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