Lear Corp is Investing in New Seat Plant in Michigan

Lear Corporation is adding to its 15 Michigan sites with a new seat manufacturing facility in the city of Auburn Hills, Michigan.

According to the Michigan’s Department of Transportation, Lear will renovate the facility situated on Giddings Road, inside and out, to serve as a just-in-time vehicle seat manufacturer supporting GM's Orion Assembly Plant.

Lear says it pioneered just-in-time assembly within the automotive seating industry.

Lear's new seat factory

Lear selected this location for its proximity to the General Motors’ Orion Township plant, access to interstate highways and site capacity, according to Michigan’s Department of Transportation.

Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Lear is planning to invest US$87m and create up to 460 jobs at the new facility. 

Ray Scott, Lear’s CEO, says:  "Our state-of-the-art Auburn Hills facility will support new manufacturing technologies for key GM vehicles assembled in Michigan. 

“Lear is proud to support Michigan manufacturing through continued investment, innovation and technology. We are honoured to work with customers like GM to help strengthen Michigan's economy and long-term competitiveness."

GM will begin production of gas-powered full-size SUVs and light duty pickup trucks in early 2027 at its Orion Assembly Plant. 

Crain’s Detroit Business first reported that Lear is taking over a building recently vacated by Dana, which informed the state of Michigan in 2025 that it would lay off 200 workers and close after investing US$54.2m for electric vehicle battery cooling systems for GM and Ford. 

Lear’s global manufacturing

Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Lear is a leading automotive supplier of seating and E-Systems that operates 258 sites in 36 countries, including India, Poland, Sweden, Morocco, the UK, Spain, Vietnam and Belgium. 

Lear describes itself as the largest US based automotive supplier. It operates 15 sites in Michigan alone and has a presence in other US states such as North Carolina. 

Lear’s manufacturing strategy

IDEA by Lear is the brand's call to action to "think differently, move quickly, take ownership and secure its future as a leader in the new era of automotive innovation". 

The company says this initiative reflects its commitment to "leading in a world increasingly defined by advanced, digital and automated solutions".

It is built around four pillars: innovative, digital, engineered and automated.

Lear’s key people

Lear's CEO Ray is responsible for the strategic direction and operational leadership of the company. He has worked at the company since 1988. 

Jason Cardew is Senior Vice President and CFO of Lear. He began his career at Lear as an accountant in the corporate office in 1992. Since then, he has held various operational and commercial finance positions.

Alicia Davis is Lear's Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, Alicia leads the Corporate Strategy and Development group, which works with the executive team to develop and drive Lear’s global strategy.