GM announces layoffs at Doraville plant

[Derek77]

Nothing really shocking to tell you the truth, but does anyone have the story on this? I heard about it on the radio in Atlanta, but have not seen the story online. ***EDIT*** Production to slow at Doraville plant to 54 vehicles per hour. Layoffs expected. Edited August 26, 2005 by Derek77

[daves87rs]

Yes,more info would be good..

[Derek77]

AJC-GM announces layoffs at Doraville plant

GM announces layoffs at Doraville plant

By BILL MONTGOMERY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/25/05
The General Motors Doraville Plant will slow assembly lines producing four models of minivans starting next month, which will result in an unspecified number of layoffs.

The slowdown will begin Sept. 6, said GM Doraville spokesman Michael Merrick.

Merrick said he could not give a number on how many workers will be affected, but he said the reductions "will be handled through attrition, including retirements and some layoffs. We don't know yet how many folks will be affected."

The Doraville plant will slow production from 60 to 54 vehicles per hour of the following minivans, also known as "crossover sports vans," Merrick said: Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Pontiac Montana SV6, and the Chevy Uplander.

"This was directed by Detroit," Merrick said. "Sales numbers dictate production; a planning committee meets each month and they decide the production for all GM assembly plants."

Doraville is not the only assembly plant affected by the line slowdown, Merrick added.

The Doraville plant will continue to operate two assembly line shifts, and "will continue production of these models," he said.

General Motors' light gray buildings in Atlanta are visible from I-285, just west of Spaghetti Junction. The plant has been there 58 years and employs 3,100.


But with the Detroit-based company retrenching over the next three years, those 157 acres of bustling industry on the Northside are endangered.


Of GM's two-dozen assembly plants in North America, only two are older than Doraville's. Auto industry analysts agree that seniority is a minus as the company chooses which sites are most expendable.


Jesse Toprak of the online auto research site Edmunds.com has contended that Doraville is safe through the company's commitment to build minivans there until mid-2008.


At best, the experts concur, Doraville is vulnerable while the gasping king of American car manufacturers weighs eliminating 25,000 jobs. At worst, the plant might be doomed.

-Staff writer Mike Tierney contributed to this report.

[cavalier36]

Id like to see them get the Zeta production models, or get the new lambda minivans. really if they close the doraville plant who will build the next gen minivans?? can lansing grand river build the crossovers and the minivans at the same time?? Lansing grand river is essencially replacing the old Grand am/Alero plant.. which i think was GM's oldest N.A. assembly plant.. sometimes its cheaper to build a whole new assembly plant then to remodel an old one.. with new production practices they are able to build a variety of models on the same assembly line. example the Cobalt, Ion, Persuit, and HHR could all roll down the same assembly line. if GM wanted Lordstown to build HHR's within a few weeks they could be making them.. Cobalts could also be built in Spring Hill... an so on.

[daves87rs]

Unless sales perk up, I think there is going to be more problems... There are still a truckload of Ventures still on dealers lots..Still! If they have to fire sale the old vans...the sales of the new vans are going to hurt even more... Who's going to want an Uplander if you can get a Venture for like, ten grand less? :huh: