General Motors Co. will increase production by 56,000 vehicles by keeping most of its U.S. plants open through its traditional summer shutdown period, the company said Thursday.
GM said nine of its 11 U.S. assembly plants would forgo two-week summer shutdowns and continue to operate through the June 28 to July 9 period to help meet strong demand for vehicles like the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Traverse.
Most of GM's U.S. stamping and powertrain plants will also work to support assembly operations.
"Our manufacturing teams are taking creative approaches to increase production and reduce the wait times for our dealers and customers," Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said in a statement.
GM's U.S. sales rose 15 percent in the first five months of this year from the same period last year, slightly underperforming the 17 percent increase in U.S. industry sales.
Excluding four brands GM has sold or closed, U.S. sales for its remaining Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands were up more than 30 percent this year through May.
Automakers have traditionally used summer shutdowns to help complete the annual model changeover and support maintenance operations.
