GM to add second shift, 100 employees at Tennessee engine plant

General Motors Co. said Thursday it will add a second shift to its Spring Hill engine plant in Tennessee and 100 employees in phases next year.

The Detroit automaker said it needs to add capacity as it forecasts more demand for its 2.5-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec engine. GM said jobs will first be filled by Spring Hill employees and any additional openings would be filled in 2014 from an existing applicant pool.

The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine powers the Chevrolet Impala and Malibu. GM also builds the 2-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines in Spring Hill. Last year, plant employees helped build nearly 700,000 engines.