GM president Mark Reuss reflects on a lifetime working at the Global Technical Center as the facility celebrates its 70th anniversary
It was 70 years ago last month that General Motors unveiled perhaps our biggest launch ever: the General Motors Global Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. The Tech Center was celebrated back then as “where today meets tomorrow,” and that’s even more accurate in 2026 as it was in 1956.
My passion for the place where today meets tomorrow goes back thousands of yesterdays to my childhood, when my dad would routinely bring me to work with him on weekends. No matter where we went, my eyes were wide, my heart beat fast and my brain worked overtime to soak up as much as it could.
Coincidentally, my dad’s dream to work at the Tech Center stemmed from a road trip to see it with his parents. Soon after, he and my mom moved up here from the farms of Illinois with US$100 to their name, and the adventure was on.
On our adventures, dad and I would typically start at the Chevrolet building, which is now the Estes Engineering Center. Chevy powertrain was in there, and Chevrolet Racing, both places of wonder to me. We’d go to the Chevrolet headquarters building, too, which was like a marble palace, but no longer exists.
My dad loved going to design, so we did that a lot, which makes sense, because that’s another remarkable world I still love to visit often. I remember him showing me the wind tunnel for the first time – imagine what that does to a child already fascinated with engineering. He also had an office in the R&D building, where a big moment for me was in the R&D lobby when I saw the Firebird concepts in person for the first time. Those space-age designs from the 1950s were absolutely stunning and I vividly remember thinking, this is where the future happens – this place literally creates the future.
Fast-forward to the present. This place is still creating the future, and I still find myself amazed at what goes on here on a daily basis. It’s not difficult to summon that childlike wonder I used to feel – one of the many reasons I love my job and I love coming here. I feel blessed to drive in the Mound Road entrance every day, especially when I imagine the thrill of driving up to it for the first time. That hooked dad and me, and it still helps to attract new employees and refuel the talent pool today.
A decade ago, we committed US$2bn to the renovation and refurbishment of the campus, and we did it the right way, as close to Eero Saarinen’s original vision for it as possible. The investment included nearly US$900m for the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center and Ancker-Johnson Battery Cell Development Center, which together give us a world-class battery R&D hub, bringing today that much closer to tomorrow.
We also built the beautiful new Design West center, which absolutely looks like it belongs here, as well as our pre-production facility to hand build the ultra-luxury Cadillac Celestiq. We renovated the Vanderbilt House, which had previously been used for everything from an executive cafeteria to furniture storage to a Quizno’s Subs. We revamped all the R&D labs, software and quality labs, advanced manufacturing areas – in short, everything everywhere. Every workspace is someplace I’d be happy to work in, no matter what. I’m very proud of what we accomplished here, and also very glad it’s done. Happy to see the pylons picked up and the port-a-potties loaded back onto trucks.
As a result, I think the campus is better than it’s ever been. It covers 710 acres, with 25,000 people working in this ‘city of innovation’, more than ever before, all changing the auto industry for the better, and creating tomorrow, today.
For 70 years, the Tech Center has helped shape the modern automotive industry, driving the US economy, contributing to the national GDP, and supporting families across America and here in Michigan. Our investments here and in other Michigan facilities support thousands of highly skilled roles in engineering, design, software and advanced manufacturing.
And our investments in Michigan don’t stop there. Today we announced a US$50m commitment to support communities in the state through 2030, expanding our long-standing investments in education, workforce development and community partnerships across the state. We have a long history of giving back in Detroit and Michigan, and this reflects our focus on generating opportunities for students, educators and families.
Just as we have taken the time and resources to invest in our people and facilities, we are helping ensure the vehicles, skills and industrial capabilities needed to create the future are found in Michigan. Giving back has always been very important to me and my family, so I’m proud to connect celebrating our Tech Center’s 70th anniversary to helping our community build a better tomorrow. I know my dad would be proud, too.
This article was original published on the GM media site.
The March 2015 edition of ATTI carries a site visit of GM’s global powertrain engineering hub in Pontiac. Email the editor, Rachel Evans, for a copy
