GM Fairfax workers pleased with expansion plans

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Employees at the General Motors Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kan., erupted into applause when expansion plans were announced on Monday.

Dan Ackerson, General Motors Chairman and CEO, shared details of the $600 million plan to build a new paint shop at the Fairfax plant.

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Ed Tyree, a supervisor at the plant, said he believes the expansion is happening locally because of the quality product workers are creating.

"It's nice to know that we will have the best paint shop of any GM plant in the world," Tyree said

Pam Randol works in the launch division at Fairfax.

"To me, the expansion is all about job security," she said.

"It's always in the back of your mind that you could lose your job, but with this new expansion it confirms that this plant is going to be around for a long, long time," Randol explained.

GM's president said there are no plans to add workers even though they're building the new paint shop.

"We will not add any new workers until we launch a new product or car, and right now we are not making any announcements about that," Akerson said.

Construction is expected to begin later this year. It should to take two years to complete.