GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
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GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Outgoing vans are below its capacity
November 17, 2004
BY SARAH BRUMFIELD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE -- General Motors Corp. will close a Baltimore assembly plant next year that employs about 1,100 people and makes two van models that are being discontinued, a spokesman for the world's largest automaker said Tuesday.
It was well-known that closing the plant was a possibility as it had been targeted for closing under a 4-year agreement last year between the company and the United Auto Workers. GM had not announced its specific plans for the plant until Tuesday.
GM spokesman Stefan Weinmann said GM officials delivered the news Tuesday morning to employees at the Broening Highway plant, which has about 1,000 hourly workers and 100 salaried workers.
The plant's two van lines, the Chevrolet Astro and the GMC Safari, will be discontinued sometime in 2005, he said.
"They were introduced 20 years ago, in 1985, and they really have reached the end of their life cycle," Weinmann said.
Joe Spielman, vice president and general manager for vehicle manufacturing, told reporters after talking with workers that "GM can no longer justify building these two products at volumes that are significantly below the plant's capacity."
Weinmann said the plant produced 41,000 vehicles through the first 10 months of this year.
He said no date had been set for closure, and that it was too early to determine what the company would offer employees.
"The workers have a safety net written into their labor agreement," he said.
GM shares fell 59 cents to close at $39.66 on the New York Stock Exchange. GM shares are trading near their 52-week low of $36.90 reached last month.
Outgoing vans are below its capacity
November 17, 2004
BY SARAH BRUMFIELD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE -- General Motors Corp. will close a Baltimore assembly plant next year that employs about 1,100 people and makes two van models that are being discontinued, a spokesman for the world's largest automaker said Tuesday.
It was well-known that closing the plant was a possibility as it had been targeted for closing under a 4-year agreement last year between the company and the United Auto Workers. GM had not announced its specific plans for the plant until Tuesday.
GM spokesman Stefan Weinmann said GM officials delivered the news Tuesday morning to employees at the Broening Highway plant, which has about 1,000 hourly workers and 100 salaried workers.
The plant's two van lines, the Chevrolet Astro and the GMC Safari, will be discontinued sometime in 2005, he said.
"They were introduced 20 years ago, in 1985, and they really have reached the end of their life cycle," Weinmann said.
Joe Spielman, vice president and general manager for vehicle manufacturing, told reporters after talking with workers that "GM can no longer justify building these two products at volumes that are significantly below the plant's capacity."
Weinmann said the plant produced 41,000 vehicles through the first 10 months of this year.
He said no date had been set for closure, and that it was too early to determine what the company would offer employees.
"The workers have a safety net written into their labor agreement," he said.
GM shares fell 59 cents to close at $39.66 on the New York Stock Exchange. GM shares are trading near their 52-week low of $36.90 reached last month.
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From: Frankfort, KY U.S.A.
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
You know they are the stongest mini-vans on the market. With a full frame under them, and with RWD or AWD configurations they can tow alot and do things a normal mini-van can not.
I guess this also kills the 4.3L V6, since its not used on any other platforms?
I guess this also kills the 4.3L V6, since its not used on any other platforms?
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From: The Golden State
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
"Joe Spielman, vice president and general manager for vehicle manufacturing, told reporters after talking with workers that "GM can no longer justify building these two products at volumes that are significantly below the plant's capacity."
Weinmann said the plant produced 41,000 vehicles through the first 10 months of this year."
Weinmann said the plant produced 41,000 vehicles through the first 10 months of this year."
Does anyone still doubt that the Wilmington, Deleware plant (capable of producing nearly 200,000 cars per year) is simply going to produce 25,000 Solstices and about 10-15,000 Saturn sports cars per year, and nothing else??
(yes, that's a hint
)
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Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Originally Posted by 30thZ286speed
You know they are the stongest mini-vans on the market. With a full frame under them, and with RWD or AWD configurations they can tow alot and do things a normal mini-van can not.
2. They sucked gas like a big SUV and they were pig slow - at least by the standard of this decade. Go back 15 or 20 years and the Astro wasn't that bad a drive. Relatively speaking, that is.
3. There's no longer a need for truck-based minivans, there probably wasn't much of need even 20-years ago. GM could have taken the easy route like Chrysler. They could have spun a minivan off a FWD platform like the K-car based Chrysler vans. Instead, they engineered a fairly impressive scaled down version of a full-sized van, just like the dummies at Ford who came up with the Aerostar. Lee Iacocca was right after all.
Originally Posted by 30thZ286speed
I guess this also kills the 4.3L V6, since its not used on any other platforms?
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From: USA
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
It's really sad to see Baltimore close (Here is is called Broening Highway Assembly). It is right off I95, and I used to drive past it all the time....they have loads of Astro's just parked in the lot goin no where.
I was told main reason this plant was old was because of the cost of modernizing it...it has been running basically 1985 technology, which is worlds away from where even Wilminton was with it's Saturns.
I was told main reason this plant was old was because of the cost of modernizing it...it has been running basically 1985 technology, which is worlds away from where even Wilminton was with it's Saturns.
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Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
They have been talking about closing that plant for many years!! My sister in law worked there about 6 years ago and they worked out a deal then to keep it open for a little longer. This is no real suprise at all.
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From: Jersey Shore
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Well...goodbye. Sad to hear more workers losing there job, but these van's needed to go. Its time for GM to clean house.
Now is the plant going to be shut down all the way? I assume that the plant couldnt be fixed up to make Lambda?
Now is the plant going to be shut down all the way? I assume that the plant couldnt be fixed up to make Lambda?
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From: neverneverland
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Lambda replaced the FWD vans (Venture, etc) that are built at Atlanta. There isn't enough volume to justify 2 plants, and Atlanta is already set up for this platform.
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Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Originally Posted by IREngineer
Lambda replaced the FWD vans (Venture, etc) that are built at Atlanta. There isn't enough volume to justify 2 plants, and Atlanta is already set up for this platform.
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From: neverneverland
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Originally Posted by redzed
All those "new" minivans are just the old minivans with new front clips, bigger tires and the available AWD system from the Rendevous.
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From: Marlton NJ
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Originally Posted by guionM
Now.....
Does anyone still doubt that the Wilmington, Deleware plant (capable of producing nearly 200,000 cars per year) is simply going to produce 25,000 Solstices and about 10-15,000 Saturn sports cars per year, and nothing else??
(yes, that's a hint )
Does anyone still doubt that the Wilmington, Deleware plant (capable of producing nearly 200,000 cars per year) is simply going to produce 25,000 Solstices and about 10-15,000 Saturn sports cars per year, and nothing else??
(yes, that's a hint
)
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,376
From: Sarasota FL
Re: GM to close Baltimore assembly plant in '05
Originally Posted by IREngineer
There is a little more new than that, but thanks for playing. Troll
He caught on fast....
Check out the insides of the new vans...pretty damn nice looking.