GM to close stamping plant near Grand Rapids
Monday, October 13, 2008 6:54 PM
Symbols: F, GM
(Source: Associated Press/AP Online)trackingBy TOM KRISHER

DETROIT - General Motors Corp.'s efforts to hoard cash and outlast a prolonged economic slump claimed the jobs of more than 2,700 workers Monday as the automaker announced the demise of factories in Michigan and Wisconsin.

GM said it would shutter a metal stamping factory in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming by the end of next year, and it also sped up the closure of its Janesville, Wis., sport utility vehicle plant, with most of that facility shuttering Dec. 23.

"I am sick about what's happened here," said Greg Golembiewski, president of the United Auto Workers local at the Wyoming factory, who thought the plant was safe because of its safety and productivity awards. "I am devastated. I'd like not to believe what I heard today. It's like a bad dream."

The moves came on a day when GM's stock finally showed signs of life after a catastrophic drop last week. The automaker's shares jumped $1.62, or 33 percent, to $6.51, after hitting $4 Friday, their lowest level 59 years.

The shares lost nearly half their value last week as broader markets tanked and investors feared GM, Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. could run out of cash before the global economic slump ends. But they were bolstered Monday by the weekend revelation that GM held merger talks with Chrysler and as more support for the global banking system fueled a 936-point rebound in the Dow Jones industrials.

At the Grand Rapids Metal Center, managers gathered workers at the end of the first shift Monday to deliver the bad news, GM spokesman Chris Lee said. The factory employs about 1,340 hourly and 180 salaried workers.

Lee would not say whether further closures were planned, but he said the company "will continue to assess our stamping capacity and align it with market demand as required."

The Grand Rapids plant was picked for closure because more than 40 percent of its parts go to slow-selling truck and SUV plants, and because GM wants to cut shipping costs by keeping its stamping plants closer to assembly plants, Lee said.

"Unfortunately Grand Rapids is some distance away from their assembly plant customers and therefore doesn't really support that strategy that we're moving toward," he said.

Earlier Monday in Janesville, workers got the news that SUV production at the plant, with 1,200 workers represented by the UAW, will come to an end sooner than expected due to declining sales, Lee said.

The factory also has 35 to 50 workers making small- to medium-duty trucks. They will keep working through May or June to complete an order for Isuzu Motors Ltd., Lee said. Then the plant "will cease operations completely," he said.


Next Page >>
More Options



Subscribe to Email Alerts rss feed or RSS feeds rss feed for articles from more than 300 contributors and press releases, SEC filings and full text news from thousands of sources.


 
Rate :  Rate this Commentary  


 Number of Comments (0) Post Comment
 
  
Good Rating(+1)    Bad Rating(-1)
No Data Found

 
Enter Symbol
Enter Search String
Bookmark This Article
Email Article

Send this article by email


Recipient's Name
Recipient's E-mail
Your Name
Your E-mail
Related Quotes

 
  Home | Login |Research | Earnings | Scans | Chat Rooms | Charts | Submit Article | Join Blog Network | Contributors | Subscribe to RSS

copryright 2008 all rights reserved