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MORE PLANT CLOSINGS from Autoline Daily


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Autoline Detroit - This is Autoline Daily for May 31, 2011. And now, the news.

 

MORE PLANT CLOSINGS!!

Even though GM and Ford are recovering quickly in the American market, making billions in profits and hiring back thousands of workers, they still want to close more assembly plants where they have slow-selling models. Bloomberg reports GM wants to close its plants in Shreveport, Louisiana, where it makes the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon . . . and its plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, where it makes midsize trucks . . . as well as the Saturn plant in Tennessee, which is sitting empty. Ford wants to close a plant in Minnesota where it makes the Ranger as well as the Flat Rock plant in Michigan that makes the Mustang and a plant in Ohio that makes the Econoline vans. Presumably Ford would move the Mustang and Econoline to other plants. And it's entirely likely GM will move some other production into the former Saturn plant. And you can be sure that the fact this information has come out now has to do with the UAW contract negotiations that will start this summer. Ford and GM done laid down some bargainin' chips

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It has been announced years ago that Twin Cities and Shreveport GM would be closing- no news there. I do not know where Ford could move the Econoline and Mustang. Finally, new product for Flat Rock will be a key demand this fall for the UAW talks.

Edited by Footballfan
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Autoline Detroit - This is Autoline Daily for May 31, 2011. And now, the news.

 

MORE PLANT CLOSINGS!!

Even though GM and Ford are recovering quickly in the American market, making billions in profits and hiring back thousands of workers, they still want to close more assembly plants where they have slow-selling models. Bloomberg reports GM wants to close its plants in Shreveport, Louisiana, where it makes the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon . . . and its plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, where it makes midsize trucks . . . as well as the Saturn plant in Tennessee, which is sitting empty. Ford wants to close a plant in Minnesota where it makes the Ranger as well as the Flat Rock plant in Michigan that makes the Mustang and a plant in Ohio that makes the Econoline vans. Presumably Ford would move the Mustang and Econoline to other plants. And it's entirely likely GM will move some other production into the former Saturn plant. And you can be sure that the fact this information has come out now has to do with the UAW contract negotiations that will start this summer. Ford and GM done laid down some bargainin' chips

What about St.Thomas Assembly it's done Sept.16th.

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Ford is looking at closing more than assembly plants. If you work at Woodhaven Stamping, chances are you will be moving to the Rouge site in 2013 unless Ford replaces the F-150 work there with something else. Dearborn Stamping is getting ready to add press and assembly capacity and will make all F-150 parts. The Focus doors will be moved to Wayne ISA to make room for all the new work.

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I thought the van assembly was mentioned years ago too, but can't remember.

Lorain was closed in December 2005 and E-Series was moved to Ohio Assembly.

 

The real question is when and where will Transit Connect and full size Transit stamping and assembly show up in the US, if at all.

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Here is the BS article that started all this discussion:

 

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110531/OEM01/110539997/1249&plckCurrentPage=1

 

Kind of seems like morels of speculation with a dash of anal-ists opinions mixed in. We all know that Auto Alliance is underutilized. However, so were Chicago and Louisville and those plants are not going anywhere. If Ford truly cares about increasing market share, they will need additional capacity- not to mention the market recovering.

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Ford is looking at closing more than assembly plants. If you work at Woodhaven Stamping, chances are you will be moving to the Rouge site in 2013 unless Ford replaces the F-150 work there with something else. Dearborn Stamping is getting ready to add press and assembly capacity and will make all F-150 parts. The Focus doors will be moved to Wayne ISA to make room for all the new work.

 

Woodhaven, I thought, makes parts for almost all Ford NA plants. Aren't they supposed to get a lot of work for the new Escape?

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Hhmm, all based on demand for big vehicles, only US based UAW represented plants being threatened. This is all being facilitated through the price of fuel being manipulated. This economic environment is being intentionally created, and it is to bolster the investments for the share holders who bought auto stock when it was worthless.

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Woodhaven, I thought, makes parts for almost all Ford NA plants. Aren't they supposed to get a lot of work for the new Escape?

 

I don't know all of Woodhaven's products but i know that they make a lot of F-150 parts. I hope whatever Ford puts into AAI after Mazda pulls out will need more parts than their integrated stamping can support and they get a lot of new work.

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