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GM completed the purchase of "Factory One" in Flint, MI. It is considered by many to be the company's birthplace.
GM Completes Purchase of Company's Birthplace
Click on the Thumbnails Below to Enlarge By Michael Strong, Detroit Bureau July, 24, 2013 General Motors is going "back to the future" with its recently completed purchase of the historic Durant-Dort Carriage Co. Factory One in Flint. The 133-year-old plant is considered by many to be the birthplace of the company and at the very least it is part of the original operations for GM, which was founded by William C. "Billy" Durant in 1908. The automaker didn't provide specifics on its plans for the 25,000-square-foot plant this week beyond saying it would begin repairing the roof and walls as well as making structural improvements. Parts of the factory date back to 1880 when it was constructed as part of the Flint Cotton & Woolen Mills. However, GM officials did discuss possibilities when it announced it was planning to make the purchase in May, including turning the factory into a possible showcase for historic GM vehicles and perhaps holding product launch events for the vehicles produced in Flint at the site. GM currently displays part of its collection in the 80,000-square-foot GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Mich., while the rest is kept in storage. "We've begun the process of assuring that the historic significance of that factory will be realized again," said GM North America President Mark Reuss during the announcement. "We are eager to have a chance to preserve and protect the very birthplace of General Motors. To me, it just seemed like an opportunity too great to pass up." The factory is on the north side of the city and sits across the street from an office building that was the headquarters for Durant's many businesses, including Durant-Dort Carriage Co., a horse-drawn carriage business that was once one of the largest-volume producers of horse-drawn carriages in the country. Click Here to Read the Rest