GM re-hiring 900 employees

[Q]

But article is confusing b/c the other half says they are sucking in sales???

DETROIT ? General Motors (GM) said Friday that it will recall 900 workers and restore the second shift at a factory near Lansing, Mich., because of increased sales of its Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia large crossover vehicles.

Spokeswoman Sherrie Childers Arb said the laid-off workers will come back to the plant in Delta Township Aug. 24, with the second shift continuing indefinitely.

"It's an uptick in market demand," she said.

The company also says it has canceled plans to shut the Spring Hill, Tenn., plant for an additional week in August because of increased demand for the Chevrolet Traverse crossover.

All the large crossovers seat eight and are built on car underpinnings so they are lighter and more fuel-efficient than sport-utility vehicles, which are considered light trucks.

At the end of May, GM had only a 46-day supply of the Enclave, 53 days worth of the Outlook, and a 59-day supply of the Acadia, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. It had a 104-day supply of the Traverse, top seller of the four vehicles.

Industry analysts say a 60-day supply is optimal to provide enough of a selection, but not so much that large incentives will be needed to move vehicles.

Enclave sales were down 9% for the first five months of the year and Acadia sales were off 33%, but the U.S. auto market as a whole was down 37% for the period.

All four crossovers were designed to catch buyers fleeing from sport-utility vehicles with better handling and fuel economy than the truck-based SUVs.

The Enclave, for instance, gets up to 17 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway, compared with a gas-powered Chevrolet Suburban SUV, which gets 14 in the city and 20 on the road.

The added shift at the Lansing Delta Township plant is good news for U.S. GM workers, thousands of whom have been laid off for up to 13 weeks this spring and summer because the company temporarily shuttered their factories due to the nationwide auto sales slump.

Overall, GM sales are down 42% so far this year.

GM last week announced that it would extend some of the closures further into the summer due to slumping demand for some vehicles.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/...-recalls-workers_N.htm

 

[OCGuy]

Yay for government cheese!

 

[SonnyDaze]

"It's an uptick in market demand,"

Summer is here. People need SUVs to go on vacation??

 

[Casawi]

Good news for us who live in Michigan. I feel so bad for some of the people around here, but life sour at times.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: Casawi
Good news for us who live in Michigan. I feel so bad for some of the people around here, but life sour at times.

I guess any work is good for Michigan. Though it seems like these are all temporal positions that may or may not include benefits.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: Quintox
But article is confusing b/c the other half says they are sucking in sales???

article.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/...-recalls-workers_N.htm

Their sales are in the toilet as compared to last year. Their sales haven't stopped completely, and they're seeing an improvement on the more recent trends. What's confusing about that?

 

[ConwayJim]

/lawnchair

 

[spidey07]

Tons of automotive plants from every manufacturer were slowed down or entire shifts or lines shut down. Once they went through their inventory and demand picked up just a tiny bit they still have to produce the cars. So that means people come back to work. Demand controls production.

 

[zoiks]

<LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>GM SUCKS HONDA RULES LISTEN TO MY FARTCAN</LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>

 

[Regs]

We can derail this thread with two simple words....."Tool sucks".

 

[boomerang]

I'm going to take a guess here and say that they are anticipating demand due to the Cash for Clunkers plan. The rules as they apply to trucks, minivans and SUV's are pretty attractive. Very little mileage increase to qualify.

Owners of sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks or minivans getting 18 mpg or less could receive a voucher for $3,500 if their new truck or SUV got at least 2 mpg higher than their old vehicle. The voucher would increase to $4,500 if the mileage of the new truck or SUV was at least 5 mpg higher than the older vehicle.

In addition, Penske may be asking for more product for Saturn.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: zoiks
<LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>GM SUCKS HONDA RULES LISTEN TO MY FARTCAN</LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>

I never thought I'd be defending Louisssss, but he's been very low key lately. I do believe it's due to him having had a Come to Jesus Meeting though. Regardless, I welcome it.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Casawi
Good news for us who live in Michigan. I feel so bad for some of the people around here, but life sour at times.

14.1% unemployment here. Not good.

 

[Mide]

Why would someone still buy a Saturn if they're closing the doors on them?

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Mide
Why would someone still buy a Saturn if they're closing the doors on them?

Ummm, because Roger Penske is buying Saturn lock stock and barrel? Saturn is not going away.

Penske buys Saturn

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: zoiks
<LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>GM SUCKS HONDA RULES LISTEN TO MY FARTCAN</LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>

I never thought I'd be defending Louisssss, but he's been very low key lately. I do believe it's due to him having had a Come to Jesus Meeting though. Regardless, I welcome it.

I think he got in trouble in this thread.

 

[Queasy]

It's because there's a demand for SUVs now and the stock on the dealer lots is very low....we're talking maybe a dozen SUVs on each lot. They lose sales when customers come on the lot and they may or may not have anything to show.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: zoiks
<LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>GM SUCKS HONDA RULES LISTEN TO MY FARTCAN</LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>

I never thought I'd be defending Louisssss, but he's been very low key lately. I do believe it's due to him having had a Come to Jesus Meeting though. Regardless, I welcome it.

I think he got in trouble in this thread.

I missed that. I was wondering why the garage seemed less antagonistic and quite a bit more logical.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: zoiks
<LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>GM SUCKS HONDA RULES LISTEN TO MY FARTCAN</LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>

I never thought I'd be defending Louisssss, but he's been very low key lately. I do believe it's due to him having had a Come to Jesus Meeting though. Regardless, I welcome it.

I think he got in trouble in this thread.

I want to hug minendo.

 

[Nitemare]

So 17 mpg is a crossover fuel efficient vehicle???

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: AdamK47

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: zoiks
<LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>GM SUCKS HONDA RULES LISTEN TO MY FARTCAN</LOUISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS>

I never thought I'd be defending Louisssss, but he's been very low key lately. I do believe it's due to him having had a Come to Jesus Meeting though. Regardless, I welcome it.

I think he got in trouble in this thread.

I want to hug minendo.

Ooooh, I didn't see that thread. He was brought up in PFI and I thought that was what changed his attitude. I didn't realize he was on vacation.

 

[meltdown75]

:thumbsup:

 

[judasmachine]

They need someone to clean the gold plated toilets.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: OCguy
Yay for government cheese!

/thread

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: Mide
Why would someone still buy a Saturn if they're closing the doors on them?

Ummm, because Roger Penske is buying Saturn lock stock and barrel? Saturn is not going away.

Penske buys Saturn

Yeah... maybe Penske will actually take advantage of what GM was trying to do with that brand.

Or, maybe they'll just build their own rental trucks from now on. Who knows?