GWM opens new factory in Wuhan

Great Wall Motors (GWM) has opened a new manufacturing site (GWM Jingmen Vehicle Production Base) in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Present at the ceremony were Cao Guangjing, Vice Governor of Hubei Province, Sun Bing, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Jingmen Municipal Committee and Mayor of Jingmen City, Wei Jianjun, Chairman of the Board of GWM, Hao Jianjun, Chairman of the Board of Great Wall Industry Co., Ltd and major leaders from Jingmen High-tech District, Jingmen City and Hubei Province.

At the signing ceremony, Wei Jianjun said that "We will make Jingmen Vehicle Production Base a comprehensive base focusing on vehicle production, offering key components and supporting the development of related industries. In future, we'll build a high-quality automobile industrial cluster in Jingmen City, driving industrial transformation and upgrading and injecting new driving force to local development. GWM will try its best to promote the project and guarantee its implementation according to plan".

Located at Jingmen High-tech District (Duodao District), Jingmen Vehicle Production Base is made up of Jingmen Vehicle Factory and Spare Parts Industrial Park, which were factories established by Jingmen Municipal Government. The production base covers an area of 1,831.07 mu. With the aim to build "Industry 4.0" international demonstration factory, there is stamping workshop, welding workshop, painting workshop, assembly workshop, new energy workshop and other workshops at the base. GWM said that 'all the production equipment are introduced from first-class manufacturers at home and abroad, such as Germany and Switzerland'. Hence, the level of automation is higher than that of other bases in the same industry.

According to mutual agreement, Jingmen Municipal People's Government transferred the possession of Jingmen Vehicle Production Base to GWM via equity transfer. GWM will upgrade the present vehicle factory, transforming the production line originally exclusive for SUV into a flexible production line for both SUV and pickup models. GWM will produce SUVs and pickups in Jingmen and invest in producing supporting components, including car seat, interior, exterior, chassis and rubber parts. In future, GWM will establish industrial park for supporting components, which will benefit associated enterprises settling at the base and promote the development of Jingmen automobile industry.

GWM says it has formed an "11+5" globalized manufacturing system, with eight vehicle production bases in Baoding, Xushui, Tianjin, Yongchuan, Zhang Jiagang, Rizhao, Pinghu, Taizhou and three overseas bases in Tulskaya Oblast, Talegaon of India and Rayong of Thailand, as well as 5 KD factories.

In June this year, the piling work of Spotlight Automobile Factory, which was co-invested by GWM and BMW, was carried out at Zhang Jiagang, Jiangsu Province.

Located in the center of Hubei Province, Jingmen Vehicle Production Base enjoys 'advantageous location, convenient transportation, good ecological environment and fully-equipped infrastructure, with favorable conditions in terms of both location and market. At the same time, the factory is closer to industrial resources, which will reduce the cost of logistics and facilitate localized operation'. With this base, GWM says it will own a better and more balanced domestic production layout, which will not only radiate the central regions, but also connect the domestic and foreign market.

With the establishment of Jingmen factory, GWM will form four vehicle production bases respectively in North China, East China, Southwest China and Central China.