Now that I'm getting close to leaving North America for Europe, I started thinking about all the assembly plants that I have had some sort of connection with that are no longer here. I was thinking about all those jobs that were lost and the people I knew that worked in those plants. The following plants were more special to me than others.
Arlington Assembly plant, TX - Where I started my GM career, it's still there.
Terrytown Assembly plant, NY - Actually in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Beautiful place to be in the fall with the leaves changing color, the plant was along the Hudson river.
Linden Assembly plant, NJ - Always in my mind as the S10 plant, I truely miss the people there as Linden was the sister plant of Wilmington when we both built the the Corsica & Beretta.
Wilmington Assembly plant, DE - Always my home, we fought off the Lansing Automotive Division (LAD) together. When they said although we were the most productive plant in North America, that didn't matter anymore they were closing the plant down. All of us worked together to get GM to change their mind. We shorten the time it took to produce a car at that plant by half, in the end GM had to keep us open or look foolish closing us and keeping less productive plants running. It also helps that GM is incorporated in Delaware. We then became part of Saturn just to survive, now look, Wilmington was the first to break the Saturn chains and return to a real GM plant. I salute the people of Wilmington.
Baltimore Assembly plant, MD - My 1st car was built there, and I was there whenever they needed help with what I do. I spent many a day and night there, sometimes weeks on end. I still see that plant as it was and some of the lucky people there moved on to the new Baltimore transmission plant. I miss the people of Baltimore assembly more than they will ever know.
Doraville Assembly plant, GA - Making the the current GM mini-vans, but that sadly is going to come to an end. I especially will miss the people that work/worked at EDS there. You all know who you are. I wish I could take all of you with me so you wouldn't lose your jobs.
The pictures I am going to show you of the Terrytown Assembly plant in NY will show you what happens to American jobs when you buy foreign designed and built vehicles. I've known hundreds of people who had GM jobs that no longer do. Sad, we are losing our children's/grandchildren's future. Soon the only jobs left in North America will be low paying service jobs. (You want fries with that?)
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