GM closing 4 plants

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/03/news/companies/gm_announcement/index.htm?cnn=yes

Sucks for GM and the employees, and their local economies. I know one of the plants is in Moraine, OH, right next to Dayton. I used to live really close to that plant at one time. The Dayton area just isn't doing real well lately at all. Glad I got out when I did.

GM should have seen stuff like this coming though. How long have gas prices been going up? It was only a matter of time before they began closing plants that make the SUVs. Seems to me that if an automobile company wants to do well for itself, figure out a way to put more fuel-efficient engines in their vehicles. Simple as that.

Yeh, most of the blame was due to rising fuel costs as to why they're not selling, but have you seen the price of a new loaded truck now a days. Geez, if I'm spending 40k on a vehicle, it better be a Lexus or Mercedes.

LTRT wrote:Yeh, most of the blame was due to rising fuel costs as to why they're not selling, but have you seen the price of a new loaded truck now a days. Geez, if I'm spending 40k on a vehicle, it better be a Lexus or Mercedes.

I saw a report on "Today" yesterday (did I just commit an oxymoron?) that the value of the SUVs has gone down considerably. Dealerships can't sell them (as easily) and the trade-in value has plumetted. I'm not saying what you stated is wrong, but obviously things aren't what they used to be. If a dealership thinks they can get 40K nowadays for a loaded truck that gets crappy gas mileage, more power to them. It shouldn't be too long before they become another empty building.

Will some of these employees at these 4 plants be able to bump some of our Fort Wayne people from a job? I will have to ask my friend that works out there, hopefully no Fort Wayne'rs get the bump.

Bman wrote:Will some of these employees at these 4 plants be able to bump some of our Fort Wayne people from a job? I will have to ask my friend that works out there, hopefully no Fort Wayne'rs get the bump.

I'm not current on the labor agreement, but I do remember that when it came to town a large chunk of the employees came from other plants.

Just spoke with my friend who is in the union at the GM plant here and he said no bumping will go on from one factory to another, it is no longer allowed in the contract is what he was saying. Hopefully he is correct ... I don't want to see my neighbors lose their jobs.

I remember when the GM plant opened here.. lots of mexicans from LA came in and there were some major cultural issues at Homestead.

I'd bet this will increase, or at least keep our plant running at previous speed. Those large SUV's have to be built somewhere, and we're one of the larger light truck plants in the nation I believe, which is the same frame as the larger SUV's (Silverado and Tahoe are the same for example).

So it could actually be a good thing for the FW economy to see those others close.

We sell Tahoes, Yukons, and Escalades at our dealership and we have a huge stock of them. $50k plus and maybe 12MPG... Not many people buying them. Subarus are flying off the lot lately. Impresas and Foresters.

Pontiac is starting a 0 for 60 sale to try and boost sales.

The american car companies have always been slow to gage the future. Just like during the 70's energy crunch they were clueless on getting the right products out.

It can't be that difficult to bring some of the smaller cars they make for foreign countries to the US. Obviously they have different standards in europe, but it shouldn't be that much different.

Scooby01_98 wrote:The american car companies have always been slow to gage the future. Just like during the 70's energy crunch they were clueless on getting the right products out.

It can't be that difficult to bring some of the smaller cars they make for foreign countries to the US. Obviously they have different standards in europe, but it shouldn't be that much different.

Excellent observation!

cardinal5150 wrote:

So it could actually be a good thing for the FW economy to see those others close.

It is nice to see you are so compassionate Card.
One might imagine this news would be just as terrible for employees anywhere.
There is one plant closing in Ontario, Canada and one plant closing in Mexico as well.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/03/gm-cuts.html

Today I spoke to someone who supplies parts to Honda in Aliston, Ontario (the make the Civic), he said, they are about to increase their daily output of the Civic from 1000 cars to 1400 or something like that.

meta4 wrote:

Scooby01_98 wrote:The american car companies have always been slow to gage the future. Just like during the 70's energy crunch they were clueless on getting the right products out.

It can't be that difficult to bring some of the smaller cars they make for foreign countries to the US. Obviously they have different standards in europe, but it shouldn't be that much different.

Excellent observation!

I doubt any of the US car makers are in a great position to do so, but it seems like they could do some M&A and start making money pretty quickly. I'm not talking about ford buying Jaguar, but maybe court a merger with Honda or Toyota... maybe even Hyundai.

Canuck wrote:

cardinal5150 wrote:

So it could actually be a good thing for the FW economy to see those others close.

It is nice to see you are so compassionate Card.
One might imagine this news would be just as terrible for employees anywhere.
There is one plant closing in Ontario, Canada and one plant closing in Mexico as well.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/03/gm-cuts.html

Today I spoke to someone who supplies parts to Honda in Aliston, Ontario (the make the Civic), he said, they are about to increase their daily output of the Civic from 1000 cars to 1400 or something like that.

just trying to find a silver lining somewhere.. besides.. it's usually FW that gets shit on when it comes to places closing.. gotta celebrate a little when it might actually benefit us..

Plus, if GM doesn't figure out how to get people off their light trucks anyway the whole company is going to be suffering. Bring the Volt here!

If that Plant shuts down this whole town will feel it for some time

There's been a fair bit of picketing at the Oshawa, Ontario plant, still being closed though. other unions and people are getting involved too.

If I am not mistaken Toyota use to do some stuff for GM, cars like Geo Prism. I seem to remember there were others too, I just can't remember the names.
http://wcco.com/business/Toyota.GM.General.2.264271.html

Ford and Mazda works together some people claim Ford owns Mazda now. I guess it is a partial ownership.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Ford-And-Mazda:-A-Strong-International-Relationship&id=81618

Chrysler and Mitsubishi had a similar arrangement.

I was under the impression that GM owned about 40% of Toyota

The Pontiac Vibe is made by Toyota

also they have a car aveo I think its called.... its from Korea

The Avalanche is made in Mexico as well as the Tahoe and the suburban

Also in Janesville Wisconsin they make the Tahoe and the burb so they would shut the American plant before the Mexican plant of course its America

All ford 150's were made in Mexico for some time I think now though they are being made in the Ford Detroit plant now ..not sure though

The dodge ram pickups all all from Mexico

The PT cruiser is all made in Mexico

Most Harley Davidson Motorcycle components are made in Mexico and China and shipped to the Harley factory and assembled here in the USA

Pretty sad isn't it

This article is pretty old, however I don't think GM owns any part of Toyota.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/17/news/international/gm_toyota/

Why would anyone want to put ownership of a successful company (Toyota) in the hands of a company that is going down (GM)?

The Mexican plant is the first one scheduled to be closed at the end of 2008.

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Sectors/Industrials/2008/06/03/5760986-ap.html

GM and Toyota had/have a working partnership.. but neither owns the other.. if anything though, Toyota would own GM.

Look under any Cadillac hood and you'll see VVT-i on the engine, that's Toyota technology. The Vibe/Matrix is the same vehicle, just two different names. If the GM engine isn't a Vortec or Duramax it's a pretty good possibility that it's got some Toyota technology in it, if not all of it.

I just retired from GM and the word was that GM owned many a stock of Toyota

From what I've learned in dealing with the auto business, the people least informed are usually the workers.. and that's not a dig at you, but rather the entire industry. I never knew what sales we were running at Toyota when I was working for Evan's until a customer came in and asked about it.

And if you talk to anyone affiliated with GM around here they'll tell you that Ben Davis Chevrolet is owned by Tom Kelley... it's an ongoing joke up there that they survived another buy out every year.

Toyota and GM have a Joint Venture, NUMMI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NUMMI), of which each company own's 50%. But GM has never had an ownership in the actual Toyota corporation.

lol no dig on me bro I'm retired and loving it
I hated working there and also the people I worked with for the most part were assholes esp the ones from Janesville they were the worst people I have ever experienced in my life anywhere!!

Mort wrote:...the ones from Janesville they were the worst people I have ever experienced in my life anywhere!!

Funny you mention that. I've met a few of them and thought the same thing.

The Chevy Aveo is from the Daewoo line when they bought it..

I've met a couple local GM guys over the years.. they typically believe GM owns the world, because it is their world. They won't believe anything you tell them that is contradictory to their belief, even if you showed them proof, they'd claim it as propaganda from the japs, or some other derogatory term. But I think that is, again, typical of the auto industry. If you're a Ford guy, they rule everything, Dodge, same way, GM, same thing.

I do get a kick out of the people who wanted to "buy American autos" in the past though.. my father in law use to say that when they were looking for a new vehicle. I told him his Crown Vic was made by Canucks, not Americans and the Toyota I was driving at the time was made by Hoosiers. Didn't matter.. he was dead set on the Big 3. Seems to be with that generation though, so nothing I can do about it.

yes and they talk about that generation thing they say that the Chevy name is blazed into the American family and and in American life you see it everywhere handed down Thur generations. The big wigs used to talk this crap at the meetings

they are more concerned with numbers then quality ,convenience, cheap to run, dependable

They think cause its that way they can put out conservative cars yeah blahs...and on the other hand the new Camaro is nice looking we will see the finished product on the floor

All of the American cars out right now I like the ford line the best, nice looking and good 4 wheel drive technology, that's why they bought Volvo, well one of the main reasons anyway

Not good timing on the release of the Camaro with the price of fuel

we got to get off the fossil fuels

I don't know if this is true or not, but I really used to think (and to an extent still do) that GM would make their cars to purposefully break down after so long just so that their parts division would stay in business. True, or should I continue smokin' the grass from the Grassy Knoll?