GM, FCA to resume all manufacturing operations after Consumers explosion

General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV planned to resume all manufacturing operations after 12:01 a.m. Friday and at some critical labs and other limited locations after an explosion at a Consumers Energy facility forced GM and its crosstown rivals to suspend and curtail work.

The Detroit automaker's non-manufacturing operations — Warren Technical Center, Pontiac Engineering and Grand Blanc Customer Care and Aftersales — will remain closed until Monday. Employees based at those facilities are instructed to work from home, GM said in a statement released late Thursday.

GM initially halted operations at 13 manufacturing facilities and three corporate locations, but "limited" work resumed for second-shift workers Thursday at Lansing Regional Stamping, Flint Stamping, Flint Engine, Pontiac Stamping and Warren Transmission.

FCA cancelled first- and second-shift production Thursday at Warren Truck and Sterling Heights Assembly Plants.

Ford Motor Co. did not close any facilities due to natural gas restrictions, but it curtailed certain heat-intensive processes at the Sterling Axle plant, lowered the temperature in its Livonia Transmission Plant and Van Dyke Transmission Plant and stopped paint processes and parts of the stamping operation at Michigan Assembly Plant, which builds the new Ranger midsize pickup.

Ford plans to resume all operations Friday at Michigan Assembly.

The affected GM facilities included:

Manufacturing

• Bay City Powertrain
• Orion Assembly — Chevrolet Bolt EV, Cruise AV test vehicles, Chevrolet Sonic
• Pontiac Stamping
• Flint Assembly — Heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra crew- and regular-cab trucks, light-duty Silverado crew- and regular-cab trucks
• Flint Stamping
• Flint Engine
• Flint Tool & Die
• Lansing Delta Township Assembly — Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse
• Lansing Grand River Assembly — Cadillac ATS, CTS and Chevrolet Camaro
• Lansing Regional Stamping
• Lansing Grand River Stamping
• Saginaw Metal Casting Operations
• Warren Transmission

Non-manufacturing

• Warren GM Tech Center 
• Pontiac Engineering
• Grand Blanc Customer Care and Aftersales headquarters

Consumers Energy gave customers the "all clear" to dial up their thermostats after 12:01 a.m. Friday after an emergency appeal for customers and businesses to conserve paid off. 

nnaughton@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @NoraNaughton