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Union: GM may expand Wentzville factory, add 1,850 new jobs

A General Motors Building in Detroit.
(via Flickr/Andrea_44)
A General Motors Building in Detroit.

Gov. Jay Nixon says he is strongly encouraged by news that General Motors may expand its factory in the eastern Missouri city of Wentzville.

The United Auto Workers said Tuesday that GM plans to invest $380 million and bring 1,850 new jobs to the Wentzville plant as part of a proposed contact deal with the labor union. Plans call for the addition of a second shift to produce full-size vans. The factory also would start making a midsize pickup truck.

Nixon's office said it has been in discussions with GM over the past year and hopes to work closely with the automaker as it expands.

After Missouri lawmakers approved incentives for automakers last year, Ford Motor Co. pledged to invest $400 million for improvements at a Kansas City area plant.