New GMT900 Variation - 4500 F450 Competitor?
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New GMT900 Variation - 4500 F450 Competitor?
http://www.mlive.com/news/flintjourn...720.xml&coll=5
FLINT - There's a magic number expected to eventually fill the hole left at General Motors Flint Truck Assembly Plant when medium-duty commercial trucks leave sometime late next year:
4500.
That's the internal name of a new super-heavy-duty pickup truck GM wants to build in a joint venture with International, according to company insiders.
Essentially, it's a pickup body on a medium-duty frame.
But try getting someone at the UAW or GM to say "4500" out loud?
Good luck.
"A future product replacement has been identified and is currently under development," the company and UAW Local 598 told workers in a flier on Thursday.
"Although we cannot get into details, this product will increase GM's competitiveness in the truck market. We anticipate a sizable investment in our facility. As the project progresses, we will share additional information with employees."
GM and International announced Thursday that they have a tentative deal to sell and shift GM's medium-duty line to International. International reportedly will build GM-branded trucks in Springfield, Ohio under a joint venture arrangement.
The deal is expected to be completed in 2008, with actual production targeted to move by September. Reportedly, the 4500 investment in Flint will come around 2010 - a potential gap of two years.
Flint Truck is currently GM's sole source for two products: heavy-duty crew-cab pickups, and medium duties. They are built on separate lines by members of UAW Local 598.
But with GM changing work shifts on the pickup line, early retirements, buyouts and inverse layoffs, few medium-duty paychecks are expected to be hurt, according to Mark Hawkins, 598's shop chairman.
"We're thinking this is a 'good news' situation," Hawkins said. "We did it with mixed emotions (losing the medium duty line.) But this is a brand-new product, brand-new tooling, a brand-new opportunity, coming in."
Already, the medium duty line was slated to be on layoff all of January, and other layoff weeks are planned for February.
Hawkins said the new product should provide more predictable work flows, when compared to the ups and downs of the medium-duty market.
Cal Rapson, the UAW's vice president for the GM department, said Thursday that the UAW's encompassing deal with GM and International also won some important victories in Springfield, Ohio, where the medium duties are headed.
International and the UAW were involved in some prickly contract negotiations there until a contract was approved recently.
Currently, the Flint truck plant builds about 40,000 medium duties annually. But they are very sensitive to economic conditions, since businesses hold off on buying them until they feel the times are tight.
GM has been looking to get rid of such "non-core" business lines, and International, already a player in medium duties, thinks it can buy up significant market share with GM's vehicles, company sources and analysts have said.
"If GM can't build a million of them, GM doesn't want to build them," said one GM insider familiar with medium duties.
Rapson, who lives in the Flint area, said the medium-duty deal and new product news is good for both towns, both companies - and the UAW.
"We studied it at length, and we feel that the interests of Flint Assembly are served by this transaction," Rapson said.
"Now we've got another product coming in that should keep the plant going for years," he added.
FLINT - There's a magic number expected to eventually fill the hole left at General Motors Flint Truck Assembly Plant when medium-duty commercial trucks leave sometime late next year:
4500.
That's the internal name of a new super-heavy-duty pickup truck GM wants to build in a joint venture with International, according to company insiders.
Essentially, it's a pickup body on a medium-duty frame.
But try getting someone at the UAW or GM to say "4500" out loud?
Good luck.
"A future product replacement has been identified and is currently under development," the company and UAW Local 598 told workers in a flier on Thursday.
"Although we cannot get into details, this product will increase GM's competitiveness in the truck market. We anticipate a sizable investment in our facility. As the project progresses, we will share additional information with employees."
GM and International announced Thursday that they have a tentative deal to sell and shift GM's medium-duty line to International. International reportedly will build GM-branded trucks in Springfield, Ohio under a joint venture arrangement.
The deal is expected to be completed in 2008, with actual production targeted to move by September. Reportedly, the 4500 investment in Flint will come around 2010 - a potential gap of two years.
Flint Truck is currently GM's sole source for two products: heavy-duty crew-cab pickups, and medium duties. They are built on separate lines by members of UAW Local 598.
But with GM changing work shifts on the pickup line, early retirements, buyouts and inverse layoffs, few medium-duty paychecks are expected to be hurt, according to Mark Hawkins, 598's shop chairman.
"We're thinking this is a 'good news' situation," Hawkins said. "We did it with mixed emotions (losing the medium duty line.) But this is a brand-new product, brand-new tooling, a brand-new opportunity, coming in."
Already, the medium duty line was slated to be on layoff all of January, and other layoff weeks are planned for February.
Hawkins said the new product should provide more predictable work flows, when compared to the ups and downs of the medium-duty market.
Cal Rapson, the UAW's vice president for the GM department, said Thursday that the UAW's encompassing deal with GM and International also won some important victories in Springfield, Ohio, where the medium duties are headed.
International and the UAW were involved in some prickly contract negotiations there until a contract was approved recently.
Currently, the Flint truck plant builds about 40,000 medium duties annually. But they are very sensitive to economic conditions, since businesses hold off on buying them until they feel the times are tight.
GM has been looking to get rid of such "non-core" business lines, and International, already a player in medium duties, thinks it can buy up significant market share with GM's vehicles, company sources and analysts have said.
"If GM can't build a million of them, GM doesn't want to build them," said one GM insider familiar with medium duties.
Rapson, who lives in the Flint area, said the medium-duty deal and new product news is good for both towns, both companies - and the UAW.
"We studied it at length, and we feel that the interests of Flint Assembly are served by this transaction," Rapson said.
"Now we've got another product coming in that should keep the plant going for years," he added.
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I think that GM should build such a pickup truck - I fell in love with the F-450 that I reviewed for Autoblog earlier this year. Combining the Duramax/Allison combo with a solid front axle is a thought that gives me wood.
However, this doesn't seem like the sort of vehicle that'd sell in volumes sufficient to justify it's own plant. The F-450 was probably a no-brainer for Ford as it's an easy extension of their F-450 commercial truck, but now that GM has bailed on the medium-duty market, I just don't see this working out so easily.
However, this doesn't seem like the sort of vehicle that'd sell in volumes sufficient to justify it's own plant. The F-450 was probably a no-brainer for Ford as it's an easy extension of their F-450 commercial truck, but now that GM has bailed on the medium-duty market, I just don't see this working out so easily.
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Captain Jeff Z28
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Mar 18, 2003 12:30 PM