GM Plants Closing

[Stephen Kowski]

With the unfortunate news about Delphi it seems that GM is also having trouble...i wonder if any teams sponsored have known about this before hand, and what this will do to their future participation in FIRST?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/21/news...ex.htm?cnn=yes

[Alex Cormier]

well one of the plants is where my dad works and i believe has nothing related with FIRST. but anyway, it's always hard to read about job cuts and plant closing so they make parts cheaper down in mexico or some other country. it hits harder when it is at your own home that gets the cut and what not.

[Rickertsen2]

As far as i know, the GM plant here in Doraville, Ga is not involved with any FIRST teams. One team told me that they have donated small amounts to them now and then, but nothing major.

30,000 Jobs... Wow. Thats an astonishing number. Wohoo for the american way(firing americans and giving their jobs to cheaper labor in other countries) (At least thats what i assume they will do).

[santosh]

Yeah, I haven't heard about the Doravilleplant hurting anyone however I was thinking of asking them for money sometime soon. Wow. I never knew that it was going to be 30,000 people...

[Rickertsen2]

Originally Posted by santosh

Yeah, I haven't heard about the Doravilleplant hurting anyone however I was thinking of asking them for money sometime soon. Wow. I never knew that it was going to be 30,000 people...

The 30,000 people is for 12 plants across the U.S. and canada, not just our's. BTW you were the team i was referring to.

[Jeremy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Rickertsen2

The 30,000 people is for 12 plants across the U.S. and canada, not just our's. BTW you were the team i was referring to.

It's ok. Santosh didn't know since it comes through our Georiga Tech side.

[JoeXIII'007]

*shutter* *cringe* Right next to my team's sponsor's building is a packaging facility that is to be shut down. That close, too close for my comfort.

My prayers go out to those who will be losing their jobs. This is a really hard time for the industry, and unfortunately, things such as this must be done to keep it alive.

-Joe

[teamtestbot]

Wow, it looks like Doraville IS on the list... I've been to the place. Absolutely huge - I'm not sure what can be done with a building that size if it's closed.

[Matt Reiland]

Originally Posted by teamtestbot

Wow, it looks like Doraville IS on the list... I've been to the place. Absolutely huge - I'm not sure what can be done with a building that size if it's closed.

Actually, Doraville is one of our smaller plants, landlocked on all sides with the new Brandsmart there. It will most likely be bulldozed and redeveloped. It isn't an efficient layout and has multiple floors. I just spent 6 months there launching the minivan.

[Rickertsen2]

The Doraville plant is right down the street from our school about a mile away.

[Elgin Clock]

Rather than take any news organization's word for it, I decided to go right to the source.

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayS...74&docid=20772

Here's the breakdown:

The following six assembly plant sites will be affected in the years indicated:

• Oklahoma City, Okla., will cease production in early 2006.
• Lansing, Mich., Craft Centre will cease production in mid-2006.
• Spring Hill, Tenn., Plant/Line No. 1, will cease production at the end of 2006.
• Doraville, Ga., will cease production at the end of its current products' lifecycle in 2008.
• The third shift will be removed at Oshawa Car Plant No. 1, in Ontario, Canada, in the second half of 2006. Subsequently, Oshawa Car Plant No. 2 will cease production after the current product runs out in 2008.
• The third shift will be removed at Moraine, Ohio, during 2006, with timing to be based on market demand.

Capacity-related actions affecting stamping, Service & Parts Operations and powertrain facilities include:

• The Lansing, Mich., Metal Center will cease production in 2006.
• The Pittsburgh, Pa., Metal Center will cease production in 2007.
• The Parts Distribution Center in Portland, Ore., will cease operations in 2006; the Parts Distribution Center in St. Louis, Mo., will cease warehousing activities and will be converted to a collision center facility in 2006; the Parts Processing Center in Ypsilanti, Mich., will cease operations in 2007. One additional Parts Processing Center, to be announced at a later date, will also cease operations in 2007.
• The competitiveness of all unitizing (packaging) operations at the Pontiac, Drayton Plains, and Ypsilanti Processing Centers in Michigan, as well as portions of the unitizing operations at the Flint, Mich., Processing Center will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the GM-UAW national agreement.
• St. Catharines Ontario Street West powertrain components facility in Ontario, Canada, will cease production in 2008.
• The Flint, Mich., North 3800 engine facility ("Factory 36") will cease production in 2008.

That is a lot of affected areas within those 30,000 cuts.