Today is an important day in General Motors’ history – the company was originally founded on September 16, 1908. For 117 years, we've been driving jobs, innovation, and U.S. competitiveness – and it all started with a unique idea by founder William “Billy” Durant.
Durant’s theory was that several carmakers combined under one brand company would have more growth potential than one brand on its own. On September 16, 1908, Buick and Oldsmobile started our legacy of making choice a key pillar of how we serve customers.
We can’t talk about GM history without noting our strong roots in Michigan. We’ve been headquartered in Detroit for more than a century – and next year we will return our home base to the iconic Woodward Avenue, the home of the first GM corporate offices in Detroit.
Today, we have 38 facilities, 210 dealers in our network, and we work with over 1,000 tier-one suppliers with locations across the state. GM is the largest automotive employer in Michigan – the automotive capital of the world – with about 50,000 employees. We're not just building vehicles, we're helping to support the futures of tens of thousands of Michiganders.
For these reasons and more, we’re proud to share that the State of Michigan declared September 16, 2025, “GM Day” across Michigan in recognition of our contributions to the state’s economy, the communities we share, and our legacy of innovation and leadership.
Our commitment to Michigan is more than a promise – it's a living legacy, reinforced by bold commitments and visionary action. We are training designers, makers, and skilled workers who will help shape a future defined by safety, sustainability, and opportunity.
Our commitment to Michigan is demonstrated by recent developments, like the $4 billion investment we announced just this summer to expand production capacity at some of our U.S. manufacturing facilities, including our Orion Assembly plant, which is expected to help support an additional 42,300 jobs in Michigan over the next three years.
Our legacy is scaling breakthrough ideas to move the world. From the first crash test dummies to the first mass-market long-range EV, GM’s history is a blueprint for American might and manufacturing prowess – alongside what’s next in mobility. Since the early 1900s, GM has piloted many game-changing innovations, from the electric self-starter in 1911, which eliminated the need to start your car by hand crank, to the auto industry’s first proving ground in Milford in 1924, which introduced standardized safety testing procedures. General Motors proudly became part of the Arsenal of Democracy during WWII, converting all of our facilities across the U.S. to produce war materiel.
Today, we continue to pioneer the innovations that move and connect people to what matters, with revolutionary products like Super Cruise1, the industry’s first hands-free driver assistance technology, and LMR battery chemistry, which was commercialized by GM right here in Michigan at one of the world’s most advanced battery development facilities. This legacy of innovation translates to real value for Michigan, and that kind of impact radiates from Michigan to every corner of the nation, powering American competitiveness on a global stage.
1Always pay attention while driving and when using Super Cruise. Do not use a hand-held device. Requires active Super Cruise plan or trial. Terms apply. Visit https://www.cadillac.com/technology/super-cruise, https://www.chevrolet.com/super-cruise, https://www.buick.com/explore/technology/super-cruise, or https://www.gmc.com/connectivity-technology/super-cruise for compatible roads and full details.