sunrunner_pei
11-21-2005, 01:32 PM
General Motors this morning announced deep cuts in its North American operations including the closure of three assembly plants, assembly lines at three other plants, and a host of stamping plants and distribution centers as it attempts to bring its capacity in line with market demand for its vehicles.
The subject of many swirling bankruptcy rumors around Detroit, General Motors says it will shed 30,000 manufacturing jobs as a result of the closures, primarily through attritition and retirement, as the plants close over the next two years.
The plants being closed outright include the Oklahoma City facility that produces some of GM's mid-size SUVs. The plant had been damaged by a tornado in 2003 and extensively repaired, leading some analysts to suggest it might be saved.
Also being closed is GM's Doraville, Ga., plant, which builds the company's slow-selling minivans. The suburban Atlanta plant is one of GM's older facilities and it's expected that GM's next generation of minivans or people movers will be built in Michigan, from a mid-size vehicle architecture.
The Lansing Craft Center will close, probably meaning the end of the line for the Chevrolet SSR hot-rod pickup. The intriguing V-8-powered hardtop convertible truck has never met sales expectations, even as a niche product.
Plants in Oshawa., Ont.; Moraine, Ohio; and Spring Hill, Tenn., will lose some production capacity. Oshawa will lose one line and one of its two plants; Spring Hill will drop one of its assembly lines; and Moraine will lose a shift of production.
In addition to the assembly facilities, stamping plants in Lansing, Mich., and Pittsbugh, Penna., will close, as will distribution centers in Portland, Ore., and Ypsilanti, Mich. GM also said one more distribution center, yet to be named, will close.
In all, GM says the moves should help it shed 1 million units of capacity by 2008.
The subject of many swirling bankruptcy rumors around Detroit, General Motors says it will shed 30,000 manufacturing jobs as a result of the closures, primarily through attritition and retirement, as the plants close over the next two years.
The plants being closed outright include the Oklahoma City facility that produces some of GM's mid-size SUVs. The plant had been damaged by a tornado in 2003 and extensively repaired, leading some analysts to suggest it might be saved.
Also being closed is GM's Doraville, Ga., plant, which builds the company's slow-selling minivans. The suburban Atlanta plant is one of GM's older facilities and it's expected that GM's next generation of minivans or people movers will be built in Michigan, from a mid-size vehicle architecture.
The Lansing Craft Center will close, probably meaning the end of the line for the Chevrolet SSR hot-rod pickup. The intriguing V-8-powered hardtop convertible truck has never met sales expectations, even as a niche product.
Plants in Oshawa., Ont.; Moraine, Ohio; and Spring Hill, Tenn., will lose some production capacity. Oshawa will lose one line and one of its two plants; Spring Hill will drop one of its assembly lines; and Moraine will lose a shift of production.
In addition to the assembly facilities, stamping plants in Lansing, Mich., and Pittsbugh, Penna., will close, as will distribution centers in Portland, Ore., and Ypsilanti, Mich. GM also said one more distribution center, yet to be named, will close.
In all, GM says the moves should help it shed 1 million units of capacity by 2008.