Established on June 12, 1997, Shanghai General Motors (SGM) is a 50-50 joint venture partnership between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group), or SAIC, China’s largest passenger car manufacturer. Since its first day Shanghai GM has striven resolutely towards its strategic goal – to become the leading domestic and internationally competitive automaker. Shanghai GM has quickly established itself as a world-class business with enormous potential for sustainable expansion, due to its adaptability, international vision, continuous innovation, and the integration of its global and local advantages. Shanghai GM is the only domestic automaker realize a total sales volume of one million units in eight years since commencing operations, it was also ranked first in the passenger car market in 2005, and is the only automaker rated as China’s Most Admired Companies for five consecutive years.

Today, newly formed product portfolio of Shanghai GM include four major brands – Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and Saab, categorized by 18 product lines, with almost 60 models: Cadillac CTS, Cadillac SRX, Cadillac XLR; Buick Royaum, Buick Regal, Buick GL8 series, Buick Excelle series; Chevrolet Epica, Chevrolet LOVA, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Sail compact car; Saab9-3 sport sedan, Saab9-3 convertible, and Saab9-5 sedan. With the brand localization and product localization strategy and through integrating global and domestic resources, all SGM vehicles represent not only the most advanced products in their segments, which include the latest technologies, delivering superior features and functions in power, safety, comfort, and environmental friendliness.

Leveraging its world-leading technology and product resources, Shanghai GM developed a complete lean manufacturing-based system that handles every aspect of the production process, including purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, sales, after sales and quality management. Shanghai GM fully implemented the most advanced information system solution (SAP IS-AUTO). It gives SGM an integrated and optimized value chain with aspects such as manufacturing, purchasing, financing, quality control, marketing logistics, and after sales system. Shanghai GM boasts China’s first flexible manufacturing system, which allows the production of different-platform vehicles on a single production line. This state-of-the-art system covers all operations for producing complete vehicles, including press, body, paint and assembly, as well as the entire process for manufacturing powertrain, engines and transmissions. Shanghai GM utilizes the Global Manufacturing System (GMS), applying the five key principles of people involvement, standardization, built-in quality, short lead time, and continuous improvement to the entire manufacturing process. SGM has successfully passed a joint quality assessment conducted by Shanghai Audit Center of Quality System (SAC) and Det Norske Verritas (DNV), becoming the first automaker in China to be granted the ISO/TS16949:2002 certification, which is the latest international quality control standard. In addition, Shanghai GM was also awarded with ISO14001 Environment Management System Certification and OHSAS18001 Occupational Health & Safety Certification.

To date, SGM has three major manufacturing plants – Jinqiao, Yantai, and Shenyang; four vehicle production factories – the North and South plants of Jinqiao, Shanghai GM Dongyue Corporation of Yantai, and Shanghai GM (Shenyang) Norsom Motors Company Limited; and two powertrain companies – Jinqiao Powertrain and Shanghai GM Dong Yue Powertrain Company Limited. Jinqiao has an annual manufacturing capacity of 320,000 vehicles, 100,000 transmissions, and 200,000 engines; SGM Dongyue has an annual manufacturing capacity of 240,000 vehicles, 375,000 engines, and SGM Norsom 40,000 vehicles. The annual production capacity of SGM is expected to be more than 600,000 units, making SGM a leader among domestic automakers in scale and strength.

While expanding its operations in China, Shanghai GM has been seeking opportunities in the overseas market. In October 2001, the first batch of Buick GL10 vehicles was exported to the Philippines, marking the first export of China-made passenger vehicles sent overseas. In November 2002, SGM reached a milestone agreement with CAMI to export high-displacement V6 engines to Canada, beginning in January 2003, with a maximum five-year export volume of 600,000 sets. This project represents the first case of an automaker in China to export high-end high-displacement engines in large volumes to a developed country. In June 2006, SGM started to export the KD kits of both 3.0L or 2.4L models of Buick LaCROSSE to Taiwan. By entering a mature market with more cut-throat competitions, this export of the vehicle model in the KD form is a pioneering breakthrough of Shanghai GM to explore the mid- to high-end sedan market outside the Chinese mainland. In June 2006, more than one thousand units of Chevrolet Aveo in KD parts were exported to Russia. This is the first time for Chevrolet product to be exported after many successful exports of SGM to the overseas market, demonstrating once again that SGM is actively involved in both domestic and international competitions and striving to become a leading domestic and internationally competitive automaker.

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