SPRING HILL, TN – General Motors announced last week that it plans to invest $61 million to bring its currently idle Spring Hill assembly plant back online to produce additional Chevrolet Equinox vehicles. 

The automaker said it is increasing production to meet customer demand and will supplement Equinox production in Canada. The company’s Canadian facility also assembles the GMC Terrain.

The Chevrolet Equinox is a popular fleet vehicle, with 9,670 2010-MY vehicles registered to commercial fleets, according to data from RL Polk. GM said retail sales are up 18 percent in October, and that it has increased production levels three times since the vehicle went into production in 2009.

The automaker also announced a second investment of $183 million at the Spring Hill plant, in order to prepare the plant for production of future, currently unannounced, mid-size vehicles. GM said the initial $61 million investment will create 594 hourly jobs and 91 salaried positions, and that the $183 million investment will create an additional 1,090 hourly and 106 salaried positions.