LexFather

General Motors will close its Moraine Assembly plant near Dayton, Ohio on December 23rd — earlier than the planned 2010 closure. The plant builds the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7X. Less than 80 days away, the closing will mark the demise of all four models.

With Isuzu pulling out of the U.S. market in January, the death of the Ascender is no surprise. As for Saab’s 9-7X, it is widely expected to be replaced by the superior 2010 9-4X.

As for the TrailBlazer and Envoy, both vehicles have become extremely dated and have been indirectly replaced by the Chevrolet Traverse, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Acadia, and GMC Terrain.

A company representative said the 1,100 workers at the Moraine facility were informed Friday of the planned closure. GM’s Oklahoma City plant previously built three of the four models, but it closed over a year ago.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-to-cl...-dec-23rd.html

doug_999

Isuzu is leaving? Man, that sucks - I was hoping for the return of Joe Isuzu - that guy rocked....

mmarshall

The fifth version of this vehicle, the Buick Rainier, is already gone....it was dopped some time ago.

Isuzu, in the U.S., sold not just the Ascender, but the I-Series pickups as well......mid-size Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon derivitives. I'll be a little sorry to see the Ascender go (it was a fairly nice vehicle, though somewhat plainer-equipped than its other GM/Saab cousins). But, good riddance to the pickups...both they and their Chevy/GMC cousins are, IMO, a piece of junk, and are clobbered by both their domestic and foreign competition.


Can't comment on the 9-4X....don't know much about it (yet).


I disagree that it is a "replacement" per se. The TrailBlazer/Envoy were more traditional, relatively capable off-roaders. The Traverse/Acadia are relatively large, sophisticated, refined people-movers primarily for paved roads, though they do have some limited off-road ability. The Equinox, a Pontiac Torrent twin, is a unibody crossover SUV, is one size smaller then the others.

The GMC Terrain is essentially a twin of the relatively small, Opel-influenced, Saturn VUE...also one step below the TrailBlazer/Envoy side, and does not replace them in any way.




Some of the misleading stuff that uninformed people in the auto press write can really be irritating to read sometimes. These people need to learn to do their homework, and to pay more attention to what they are writing.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Good. GM needs to close all lame marginal vehicle plants.

mmarshall

Fine, maybe, from a buisness point of view, but what's going to happen to all their employees who are not yet eligible for a buyout or retirement? Many could be out of work and on food stamps, unemployment, or other government assistance.....at a time when Government dollars are running out.

Under this scenerio of a bunch of closed plants, those employees may no longer be GM's problem, but they will then be Uncle Sam's.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

True enough, but they can't build cars people don't want.

Things change, life happens. They'll have to move and/or learn new skills, retire, or just do something else.

mmarshall

It's interesting. (And I'm sure you will remember this). 12 years ago, in 1996, GM retooled the Arlington, TX plant that built the big V8, RWD, full-frame Caprice/Impala, Roadmaster, and Fleetwood (even though some people still wanted those cars), dropping those models for Trucks and SUVs. Today, it's an SUV plant that is getting axed. Not just retooled like 12 years ago for a different line of vehicles, but axed, period.

doug_999

If I remember correctly, these people can't be unemployed per the contract. I think they are guaranteed jobs - albeit at another GM plant.

The fact is, those cars/trucks are not competitive in this marketplace any more and it does not make sense to keep making them just to keep people employed.

TwiBlueG35

I agree. However, on the ethical standpoint, the heads of a company not only need to worry about profits, sometimes they need to worry about the future of their laid off employees. And GM might not be the only company closing plants in the future, with today's cold auto market.

I8ABMR

That means they need to close almost all of its plants. They suck

I8ABMR

Its sad but true. Thats why my parents always stressed education. especially to go into a field not affected by the economy as much, like the medical field. They will have to adapt. Its not like they didnt see this crap coming for the past 2 years. I hate that GM's CEO, who in the past 8 years has watched GM stock value fall more than 50%, get paid 16 million a year, and the factory workers are getting laid off. Fire that piece of crap and keep a few thousand workers. I watched the interview with him in the saving GM documentary, and I dont see anything special about him.

doug_999

Today's market period - look at companies like United, Boeing, etc.. and the crap they and their workers are pulling. Today it is about the all mighty dollar -screw everything else (this applies to management, unions, employees, etc.)